How To Break A Family
by 1967-chevy-impala
Summary: DW gets kidnapped. She gets tortured. Somebody else dies. Years later, DW is found,emotionally and physically scarred. Arthur is furious at the people that ruined his family. He does something to them, and ends up in jail. Please read and review.
1. Chapter 1

Author's Note: In some way this is parody, in some way it isn't.

Chapter one:

DW was at kindergarten, playing in the sandbox. "Hey DW," the Tibbles came up to her and started talking, "We have a dare for you."

"Why would I do something you tell me?" DW asked, not taking her eyes off her toys.

"Well…" they replied, "When we were walking on the street, we saw something you lost," they held up a small, blue-spotted stuffed cow.

"Mary Moo Cow!" DW shouted, trying to grab her long-lost toy.

"A-a-ah, not so fast," Tommy Tibble said, "First, you have to pinky-swear to do our dare."

"Okay, okay. What do I have to do?" DW questioned without hesitation. It was her favorite cow's life at stake here.

"When we all go in, you have to hide behind the bushes," Timmy began, "And when the coast is clear, you have to go on the store and get some candy," Tommy continued, and the Tibbles laughed.

"No way," DW disagreed.

"Timmy," commanded Tommy, "Kill the cow." Tommy Tibble took out a pair of scissors and pointed them at the cow's throat.

"No!" DW yelled, "Okay, I'll do it. Just don't hurt Mary Moo Cow!"

"Okay. The store is just across the street," the twins said and left.

DW hugged her cow, and gulped, afraid of what she agreed to do. "Maybe I can tell them I went, and there was no candy in the store," she whispered to herself.

"Oh, by the way, DW," the boys called to her, "We'll be watching you."

It was time. Everybody went inside, but DW stayed behind, in the bushes, like she was supposed to. She got out of the bushes and shook off the leaves she got on her clothes. She took another last glance at the small yard, and left it, her heart pounding and her hands shaking. Taking a deep breath, and clutching Mary Moo Cow closer to her, she left the yard.

DW was walking on the half-empty streets, searching for that store. She passed it millions of times with her parents, but when she was alone, everything seemed so much bigger… scarier. All of a sudden, a shady, silver van pulled up beside her. A man wearing sunglasses and a hat popped his head out of the open window and asked, "Hey, little girl, I just got a big bag of candy, and I don't have anyone to share it with. Do you want some?"

"Oh, yes, please!" DW exclaimed. This was great. Now she wouldn't have to go to the store.

"Come right over here," he gestured with his finger.

"Oh, thank you mister," DW came close to the window.

"This bag is very big, so I have to open the door to give it to you," he explained as he opened the door.

"Where is the bag?" DW stared in confusion.

"It's inside. Come closer…" the man mumbled. DW stuck her head into the car. Just as she did, the man grabbed her, gagged, tied her up and shoved her into the back seat. With a roar of the engine, the van drove away.


	2. Chapter 2

Author's Note: WARNING: this chapter may not be suitable for children under the age of 10. This chapter is sort of short. Please read and review.

Chapter two:

DW's mom was in the kindergarten, to pick her up.

"Oh my," said the teacher, "she isn't here. I got a phone call, saying that she was going home, early this morning."

"What?!" Mrs. Read shouted. "Where is my daughter? What happened to her? She is missing! No! My little girl is missing!"

"Calm down," the teacher guided Mrs. Read to a chair. "I am sure she's fine."

"I… I have to call the police. I have to call my husband. Where is DW?" cried DW's mom.

"I don't know," replied the teacher sadly, "But maybe some of the other students know." And so she asked the entire class. All of them said they had no idea where DW was, including the Tibbles, who didn't want to get in trouble.

Arthur was sitting at home on the couch, watching Bionic Bunny. He was wondering why his mom and his sister weren't back yet, but whatever the reason, he was glad. Thanks to DW's favorite shows, he hasn't seen Bionic Bunny in months.

"Arthur," his dad came over, in front of the TV.

"Dad, I'm watching," Arthur mumbled.

"This is more important," Mr. Read switched off the television.

"What is it?" Arthur stretched as he asked, reluctantly, thinking this was something about chores or school.

"Well, your mother has just phoned, from the police station," his dad told him.

"What?" Arthur sat up on the couch, alerted, "What happened?"

"DW…" Mr. Read stated, "She's missing."

"What?! How? When?" Arthur stuttered.

"Calm down son. She disappeared from kindergarten this morning. The police have already begun searching for her."

The doorbell rang. "Maybe its DW!" shouted Mr. Read. He ran to the door.

"Hi," Mrs. Read said as she entered the room. No DW.

"Mom, what happened to DW?" Arthur asked worriedly.

"Nobody knows, sweetie," she answered, tears welling up in her eyes.

"It's alright," Mr. Read comforted her, putting his arm around his wife's shoulders, "We'll find her. I'm sure she is fine."

"Don't touch me," snapped Mrs. Read, pulling away from her husband. Something strange was going on.

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Days passed, but the police have still not found DW. It was the day of DW's birthday, and grandma Thora was calling to tell her granddaughter happy birthday.

'RING RING' the telephone rang.

"Hello?" Arthur picked up the phone.

"Good morning, Arthur," his grandma said cheerfully.

"Morning," he muttered.

"How are you, sweetheart?" grandma Thora asked. Arthur didn't reply. "Well, aren't you gonna give the phone to the birthday girl?"

"She's… not here right now," Arthur sighed.

"What? Well, where is she?"

"Grandma… DW is… she is missing. For five days now." He blurted out.

"WHAT?" shouted grandma Thora, "Oh, no. No…" There was a gasping noise, followed by a loud bang, and a crack. "Help me…" whispered Arthur's grandmother.

"Grandma? Are you okay?" Arthur yelled into the phone. "Grandma?" the line went dead. "GRANDMA?"

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Arthur, his parents and his baby sister Kate were sitting in a hospital waiting room. A door opened and a doctor in a white robe came out.

"What happened to her?" asked Mr. Read, getting up from his chair.

"Sir, it looks as though she had a heart attack," the doctor replied, "We did a surgery, but – "

"How is she doing now?" Mr. Read interrupted.

"I'm sorry, Mr. Read. You mother, Thora Read… she…"

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three:

The rain was beating down on the windows of the black limousine, inside which sat Arthur, his parents and Kate. The limo arrived at the cemetery, and they all got out. Grandma Thora lay stiffly in her coffin, as it was lowered into the ground. All of a sudden, the graveyard was filled with a ringing sound. Mrs. Read pulled out her mobile phone from her pocket.

"Why didn't you turn that off?" hissed her husband.

"The police could call about DW!" she replied.

"Can't it wait until after the funeral?"

"No! This is our daughter we're talking about. I have to leave, now," Mrs. Read answered.

"Alright, fine. Go and leave. But don't bother coming back! Ever!" yelled Mr. Read.

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It was three months since DW disappeared, and the case was officially running cold. The Read family – or what was left of it – were sitting in a courtroom. Today, their future was to be decided. And so, the judge spoke, "Mrs. Read," his stern voice proclaimed, "You are lawfully in custody of your son Arthur Read." Arthur's mom shot a smile at her son, who was sitting a few seats away.

"Mr. Read," the judge continued, "You have custody on your daughter Kate. Court is now dismissed."

"What?" shouted Mrs. Read, "I… I can't live with my daughter! You can't be serious… she… Kate needs a mother! Please, you can't do this… I already lost one daughter. And – "

"Mrs. Read, if you disagree, you can continue shouting in _jail_. This is a courtroom, and it will stay orderly!"

Friends and relatives of the Read family were piling out of the court room, and closer to their cars to get home, none of them too thrilled to have to face Mr. or Mrs. Read. Mr. Read proudly picked up baby Kate off her seat and into his arms. As soon as Mr. Read, Mrs. Read, Arthur and Kate left the room, Mrs. Read furiously turned towards her ex-husband.

"Are you happy now?" she yelled, tears filling her eyes, "It was your irresponsibility that got DW kidnapped, and now you are taking Kate away from me! What type of a husband are you, you… you selfish, horrible pig?!"

"As far as I know," Mr. Read replied dryly, "I am an aardvark."

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The day came. That day that would completely break the Read family into several different pieces, the last day when Mr. Read could see his son, the last day Mrs. Read could see her youngest daughter, the last day Arthur could see his father and baby sister, and the last day Kate could see her mother and older brother.

"If we're lucky," Mr. Read mumbled quietly to his baby girl that he was holding loosely in his arms, "You will forget all about them," he motioned with his head towards Kate's mom and brother.

"I believe I have a right to see my say goodbye to my daughter… privately," Mrs. Read told her ex-husband. He carefully handed her the baby and she took her into her arms and hugged her tightly, tears freely pouring down her cheeks.

"And I believe I am supposed to talk to my son now," Mr. Read offered Arthur a smile, trying to stay strong and not break down in tears… for his son…

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"Oh, Katie, my baby," the woman sobbed, gently kissing her daughter's forehead, "What if you forget me? You can't forget your mommy, darling. And you can't forget your brother or your sister. Wherever you will be, wherever they will be and wherever I will be… you have to remember, Kate. You have to." Kate let out a little gurgle, then shook her tiny hands in the air and placed them on her mom's head. "Which is why I am giving you this. It's a golden necklace with diamonds and sapphires, too expensive for your father to throw away, with a picture inside. A picture of your family. Katie, you may not understand much, but you have to understand this: you can't take this off, baby. It has to stay with you. It will protect you. Your family will protect to, sweetie." Mrs. Read sobbed some more. "Goodness, Katie, I love you so much. SO MUCH!"

"I wuv you mommy" the baby replied.

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"Arthur, you can't leave!" yelled Arthur's dad after a long, awkward silence between them. "No! Arthur, please, you can't go with your mother! You have to stay with me, son! PLEASE?!"

"Dad, you know that I have to go with mom, whether you like it or not, whether I like it or not and whether anyone else likes it or not. She… needs me. And you have Kate with you."  
"No! Son, I can't lose you. Please, we can arrange it like… like you are kidnapped like DW but you really won't be, and you will stay here and once your mother is gone somewhere, you, Kate and me can all live as a happy family again."

"No, dad, I can't. I'm sorry. I love you. But I can't," replied the now 9-year-old aardvark.

"Please, Arthur. Please…" Mr. Read began to cry.

"Dad, I told you, no. I'll visit – a lot. I'll write, send you emails…"

"So you are saying you like your mother better than me?"

"You can't ask me that kind of question…" Arthur felt uncomfortable. He pushed himself deeper against the wall.

"Ok. Ok, you don't have to stay. But remember, you leave now, you ain't ever coming back. You're not welcome in my house anymore, Arthur." Mr. Read wiped off his shower of tears away from his face and left the room.

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And so, the day has come and gone…


	4. Chapter 4

Authors note: So, where is DW? Is she still alive? Find out at the end of this chapter. Please read and review. I hope you enjoy this!

Chapter Four

Four months later, after losing all hope of ever finding DW, Arthur and his mom were on the first flight out of the country. They moved to another country, and started fresh, just the two of them. Mrs. Read got a new job; Arthur went to a new school. He did really well in it too. As he got to be a teenager, he got a part-time job in a convenience store. Shortly after, his mom lost her job, but with the money she had, she bought the store and it became their own little business.

Mr. Read and Kate started a more or less new life too. Mr. Read needed more money so he juggled three jobs at a time, leaving Kate in the care of daycare workers and teachers. As the girl grew older, she needed more things, which meant less money for Mr. Read. He sold their old house and bought a small, two-bedroom apartment for Kate and him. His jobs paid so little that he worked all day and came home at 12:00 at night then ate, slept for three hours and went right back to work. Ever since Kate was 6 years old, she had to take care of both herself and her father.

The years passed, and the two parts of the once-whole family didn't even know a thing about each other. Arthur has finished high school, but didn't really want to go to college or university. Instead, he continued working with his mother at their store. The years passed without much of a meaning, but that year, the year when Arthur was twenty-two years old, changed everything. Kate was a teenager, fourteen years old. She went to school, and has a lot of friends. Ever since she was ten all she did in her spare time was hang out on the streets with her friends. They were somewhat older then her, though. They were all very cool or so thought Kate. They knew everything about living the tough life, with nobody there to take care of you. So they took care of Kate. They took her around the city on their motorcycles, feeding her and giving her stuff to drink. Kate's favorite was beer, although vodka was pretty good too. And then they smoked… Kate loved to smoke. Occasionally, her friends would let her smoke a bit, and she LOVED it. But that one year, the year when Katherine Read was fourteen years old, everything changed.

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22-year-old Arthur Read was in his convenience store, arguing with yet another customer about the fake five dollar bill he just received. It was 10 pm, and it was winter. Out the window was a big, white blur of snow, spinning in circles and landing on the ground. The door chimed, and he saw his mom enter the store.

"Arthur, you should go home now," Mrs. Read said.

"Mom, I'm with a customer," he replied, and went back to trying to prove the money was fake.

"Arthur, let him go. It's only five dollars. 'Tis the season, after all," said Arthur's mom.

"All right," Arthur grumbled, "But next time…"

"Thank you, m'am. Happy holidays!" the customer smiled.

"Happy holidays to you too!" Mrs. Read replied cheerily.

"Now, Arthur, go home while the blizzard didn't get too bad, alright?"

"Okay, mom," he gave his mother a hug and left the store. He walked against the wind, towards his car which was covered in snow. The fresh snow on the ground crunched lightly under his weight. He got inside his warm, heated car and made his way to the place he now called home.

WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWW

Mrs. Read sat down in front of the cashier desk, with a magazine in one hand and a hot chocolate in the other. This was really hot-chocolate type weather. The chimes on the door sounded and in ran a girl looking to be about eighteen years old. "Please, you have to help me!" she screamed.

"What's wrong?" Mrs. Read came closer to the girl. She noticed the teenager had scars and bruises all over her face and she was wearing only a very long t-shirt. With it being absolutely freezing outside.

The girl looked up at Mrs. Read. "Oh my goodness," she whispered, "It… can't be…"

"DW!!!!!!!!!!" Mrs. Read recognized her long-lost daughter. She threw her arms around her and DW fell into her mother's warm embrace. Suddenly, in barged three men, all in masks, with guns raised in the air.

"Aw, Dee, did you really think you would get away?" one of the laughed.

"You bastard! You kidnapped my daughter! How dare you! I'm gonna kill you, all three of you!" Mrs. Read was going crazy. She grabbed a small knife out of her drawer and threw herself at the men. "I am going to kill you! I swear!"

One of the men pointed his gun towards Mrs. Read. He pressed his finger into the trigger, and Mrs. Read was on the floor, blood gushing out of her chest.

"NOOO!!" shouted DW.

"Alright, darling, let's go back home now, shall we?" the men grabbed DW and dragged the sobbing, kicking teenager off into their car.


	5. Chapter 5

Author's Note:

I apologize for taking such a long time to continue this story. Thank you to everyone who read and reviewed my story. I hope you enjoy reading this.

Chapter Five

"Hey Katie," Kate's friend Paul came up from behind her as she was entering her apartment building.

"Oh, hey Paul!" Kate responded cheerily.

"I've been meaning to talk to you…" Paul smiled.

"I'm always glad at that, but about what?" Kate asked.

"Kate… you are so young, so beautiful… with such a hot body… Kate, any man would kill to be with you…" Paul stated.

"Paul, are you asking me out?" Kate stared deeply into Paul's brown eyes. She's always secretly been in love with him.

"Well, darling, not quite… Katie, how would you like to have a new job, so you could earn some good money, huh?" 

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Arthur forgot his wallet. He was always forgetting something these days. Halfway home, he remembered and went back to get it. He drove back into the empty gas station parking lot and saw that it wasn't all that empty. He saw a car speed out of the parking lot, driving probably at the highest speed the car could go. _Whoa, they would get a million speeding tickets for that, _thought Arthur as he got out of his car. He walked over to his convenience store, to find the lights turned out. _What? We don't close until midnight, _Arthur wondered why his mother turned off the light. He tried the door, and it was unlocked. It opened with a low creak and Arthur entered the store. It smelled weird… like blood… he flicked on the light switch to find… "NO!! Mom! Mom, are you okay?! MOM?!" Arthur dropped on his knees and shook his mother. Even though it was clear she was dead, he checked her pulse. "Mom…" tears poured uncontrollably out of his dark eyes as he reached for the phone and dialed 9-1-1. 

Before the police got there, Arthur, sobbing heavily, stood up and went over to the surveillance camera. He needed to know who did this to his mother… he needed revenge… Arthur took out the tape and put it into a video player. With his vision blurred by tears, he clicked play, and rewinded it to the time when he left (which he remembered was 20 minutes ago). He saw everything. "Oh my god, DW! DW is alive!" Arthur shouted, "I have to find her… before they kill her too!" and he ran out of the store. 

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"Let me get this straight, you want me to take that guy to a room, start making out with him, then take off all my clothes and sleep with him?? Kate asked Paul.

"Sweetheart, you make it sound so terrible…" Paul said gently and pushed Kate's long, silky hair out of her eyes.

"Well, isn't it? Isn't it bad?" Kate was scared and confused.

"No. Not at all. Lola did that since she was your age, and she likes it now."

"You mean… you think I should become a prostitute?" Kate felt awkward saying the word.

"You know, there is nothing wrong with that. There is absolutely nothing wrong with having a great body and showing it off…" Paul replied, "And, like I said before, it's a great way for you to earn money." _Which you can use to buy us some drugs. _Kate's lip quivered. She was about to cry, but she wasn't sure whether it was all that bad of an idea to become a prostitute. "Darling, come on, you trust me, don't you?" Paul coaxed.

"Yeah, of course I do," Kate whispered.

"Would I ever do anything to hurt you, Kate?" 

"No, of course not…" Kate offered a smile.

"Good. Then do you trust me enough to start tomorrow night?" 

Kate was scared, but hey, her friend Lola did it for three years now, and she was fine, "Yeah! Sure! I always wondered how that would feel like!"

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Arthur got into his car. The murderers and DW must have gotten away in that speeding car, which Arthur remembered was red and turned right at the corner. From the corner was a highway… there were no turns on it for a long way. He could catch up to them. And so he set off. He felt his heart pumping faster than that car or his own car right now. He was overwhelmed with emotions: his mother was dead. His sister was still alive. Arthur wished desperately he could just go back in time and stop DW from ever getting kidnapped. _None of this would have happened, _he thought, _we would all still be living happily and safely back home…_Arthur's attention turned towards the red car ahead of him. It was the same car that his mother's killers drove off in with DW. All of a sudden, the car stopped, leaving Arthur slamming down the brakes not to crash into it. He flung open the door and jumped out of his car, banging on the car with one hand while tightly gripping a gun in the other. The car started driving but Arthur shot through the glass, getting a bullet into the driver's head. 

"LET HER GO!" Arthur yelled.

"I don't think so" said one of the men. Another gunshot rang through the winter air, followed by a shout of agony. The car sped away leaving Arthur on the ground, a searing pain in his arm. Arthur tried to get up… he had to save DW. His attempt failed, and he fell to the ground, slowly loosing consciousness. 

**Author's note: is Arthur going to die? What is going to happen to DW? Is Kate going to become a prostitute? Find out if I get five more reviews…**


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Author's Note: warning: this chapter contains graphic violence and material not suitable for younger readers. Please read and review. Enjoy!

Chapter 6

"Wake up! Wake up!" Arthur could hear shouts around him. 

"Where a…am I…?" Arthur groaned.

"You alight kid?" asked the middle-aged man leaning over Arthur.

"Do I look like I'm alright?" Arthur felt white-hot pain shooting through his arm. 

"So you got a bullet in your shoulder, lost a little blood. You'll get your arm stitched up, be as good as new," the old man told him in his deep, scratchy voice. He grabbed Arthur, picking him up off the blood-covered road. He put him in the passenger seat of his pickup truck and got in the driver's seat. "You wanna go to a hospital?" asked the man.

That was a stupid question. What else was someone else supposed to do when they were bleeding to death? But then, Arthur realized he didn't have any time. He had to find DW. She was alive, and he had to save her. He also had to get revenge on those people who killed his mom. "No. I don't have much time for that."

"Alright then, I'll patch you up," the man replied, "Name's Rodriguez, by the way."

"I'm Arthur," Arthur replied wearily, "Where are you headed?"

"Elwood City," the man said.

"Elwood City…?" the word echoed in Arthur's head. Elwood City: his home, where he was born, where he grew up, with so many memories, so many emotions. "Great. Can you take me there?"

"No problem."

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"DW, that was probably the most stupid thing you've done for a long while," Bob, one of DW's kidnappers told her as he put the usual duct tape over her mouth. Suddenly, he changed his mind, putting the duct tape over to the side. "That guy that shot Mason, do you know him?" Bob asked DW. DW shook her head. "Are you sure? Are you sure that if he's not dead, he's not gonna come looking for you? The last thing we need is some annoying guy chasing us all over the country. Are you sure he doesn't remind you of anyone?"

DW's shut her eyes for a second. Despite the tears in her eyes after her mother's death, she still got a good look at the person who shot one of her kidnappers. She knew exactly who he was, and she knew that he wasn't dead. DW knew it was her older brother Arthur, and that he was going to find her and save her from these terrible, evil people. "No, I have never seen him before. How could I? I was with you ever since I was four," she muttered, "You son of a bitch," she said under her breath.

"What was that? What did you say you little whore?" he shouted.

"Nothing," DW whispered.

"Nothing huh? I know you said something. Now say it again," Bob ordered.

DW felt a lot safer knowing that her family was out, that she had a chance of being found. She felt that she would stay with these people only for a little while longer, so she decided to lay off the innocent act and start giving these bastards a piece of her mind. "I called you a son of a bitch," she replied. The moment the words slipped out of her mouth, she regretted it. 

"You little whore, you are gonna feel more pain than you ever felt in your life!"

"I'm sorry!" yelled DW. She didn't know what came over her when she said that.

"Sorry doesn't take your words back, bitch," Bob squeezed his fist, violently throwing it against DW's bruised and tear-stained face, over and over and over again. 

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Arthur stood in a dark room, about ten dead bodies lying on the blood-covered floor. DW's two remaining kidnappers lay on the floor, blood streaming out of them like a river.

"Please…" they begged for their lives, "Please don't…"

Arthur stared them straight in the face. He enjoyed seeing the pain in their eyes. He wanted revenge. He pointed towards the gun towards one of them, then pulled the trigger. He could see the life drain out of the man. That brought Arthur more satisfaction than he's had for a long time. Then, pointing the gun at the other man, he pulled the trigger again and watched the bullet pierce into his chest.

"Arthur. Arthur! Wake up!" Rodriguez slightly pushed Arthur to wake him up.

"What…?" Arthur wearily opened his eyes.

"We're here. Elwood City," Rodriguez told him. Arthur looked out the window to see the familiar streets of his hometown. Memories poured into his head fasted than a speeding bullet. Tears came to his eyes as they drove by his old school, and the other places where he spent most of his childhood. It's been five days since Arthur got shot. Rodriguez stitched up his arm and since then, Arthur was surviving on painkillers and alcohol. 

"So, you wanna find your dad and your sister?" Rodriguez asked.

"Yeah. Can you take me to my old home?" Arthur got an image of his house in his head… the good times, all those years ago. They drove up the driveway and Arthur got out of the car. 

"I'll wait here," Rodriguez said. Arthur walked up to the front door and rang the doorbell.

"Can I help you?" asked the woman who opened the door.

"Uh… I'm looking for Mr. David Read and his daughter Kate," Arthur's voice came out a squeak because of the tears rising in his throat. He's been away for so long.

"Well, sweetie, you've come to the wrong place. They haven't lived here for a really long time," the lady replied.

"Do you know where I can find them?"

"Sorry, I'm afraid I don't," she told him.

"Thanks anyways," Arthur said as he turned around and headed for Rodriguez's car. "They don't live here anymore," he mumbled miserably.

"Don't worry kid, I'll help you find 'em. It's getting late. If you need a place to stay, I know a place that'll take you in. Do you want a ride?"

"Yeah, thanks," Arthur sighed. He knew he and his dad didn't exactly leave off on good terms, but he still wanted to see his dad and he wanted to see his baby sister. Finding his family and killing the people who destroyed it was the only thing that kept him going. Arthur changed now: he hardened and he was a lot less concerned about getting in trouble with the law. All he wanted was for this nightmare to be over.

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"Kate, honey, you need money. Tonight. And we've got a guest that needs some cheering up, so what do you say?" Paul smiled at Kate. 

Kate didn't feel too good about selling her body; she felt filthy and she felt used, but the money did help and she didn't mind the fact that she was getting more experience in sex. "Alright, I'll do it," she smiled back at Paul. 

"Wonderful," he handed Kate a red, silk robe, "Now put this on and go wait in the room." Kate did as she was told.

"Hey," Paul greeted one of his customers.

"Hi," the customer said.

"You know, you look like you could use one of our girls… to cheer you up…" Paul told him.

"I don't know… I'll just get a drink…"

"Trust me man, she's young and hot and you'll have the time of your life!" Paul assured.

"Well, okay I guess. I'll need to pass the night somehow…"

"Great! She's waiting in the room down that hall" Paul motioned.

The customer knocked on the door. "Come in," came the reply. He opened the door to find a young, beautiful girl dressed in a red silk robe, lying on a bed. 

**Author's note: dun dun dun… what will happen next? Find out after I get seven more reviews. Oh, and reviews such as "review number one" or "review number two" don't count. Haha. But for chapter five I counted it anyways. **


	7. Chapter 7

Author's note: I'd like to say thanks to all the people that reviewed my story

**Author's note: ****I'd like to say thanks to all the people that reviewed my story. I am sorry that I took so long to update, my computer got kind of screwed up. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please review. I have been warned not to do this but just because I am so evil I will do it anyways: I am not going to update until I get at least 6 more reviews ;) **

Chapter Seven

The first thing that came to his mind was that this girl was really young. In fact, she looked way to young to be doing this kind of thing. "How old are you?" asked the man.

"Fourteen," replied the girl. She slowly started taking off her robe.

"Put your clothes back on," he said.

"Why? Don't you think I'm pretty? Don't you like me?" she asked.

"Yes, you're very pretty, but how about you put your clothes back on and we'll just chat a little bit instead?" the man offered.

"O – Okay" Kate managed to say.

"What's your name?" he asked.

"Kate."  
"K… Kate?" he froze.

AKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA

"Alright Dee, get in the car. We're going on a road trip," said Bob.

"Where the hell are you taking me now," DW whispered, still in pain from the beating Bob gave her.

"You, my darling, are going home," he replied.

"What?" she couldn't believe what she was hearing. Was this the day that they would actually let her go?

"Long story. We need money and we sort of need to visit some old friends back in Elwood City," Bob explained, then chuckled a little, "You should have seen your face, Dee. When you thought we were gonna let you go. Priceless! You know, DW, you shouldn't even dream of ever seeing your family again. We're your family now, and you're never gonna leave us"

_I wouldn't be so sure, _thought DW.

"Now get in the car. If the cops stop us, you know the drill," ordered Bob. DW nodded.

_Flashback:_

_"Sir, SIR! Pull over now!" the police man ordered. Bob pulled the car over to the side of the road and rolled down his window. "You were speeding. Here is your ticket."_

_"Excuse me, Mr. Police Officer," five-year-old DW said from the back of the car, "these men kidnapped me!" _

_"Sir, please get out of the car," the Police Officer commanded._

_"I don't think so," just then two gunshots came from Bob's silver handgun, and the kidnapped sped away, going almost as fast as a car could go. When they got back "home", by the way Bob looked at her, DW knew she was gonna be in trouble._

_"You little piece of shit!" he yelled at the top of his lungs, "You little bitch, I am gonna tear you into a million tiny shreds!" that day, DW's vocabulary of swear-words really widened. Also, that day DW experienced a hard-core beating. After that, she knew that no matter what, she couldn't get away from these people. As she felt the baseball bat repeatedly fly into her small body, she felt her childhood innocence being torn out of her._

_End of flashback._

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

"Kate," he repeated again, "Kate… Kate what is your last name?" the man was terrified of what she would reply.

"My name is Katherine Read," the girl responded quietly.

"I don't believe it!" yelled the young man as he threw his arms around the girl. Instinctively, she backed away.

"Kate, it's me. Your brother Arthur," he said.

"Arthur?" Kate's eyes widened.

"You probably don't remember me… you were really small when I left…"

"No, I remember you, Arthur," Kate smiled and hugged her big brother.

Arthur was really happy to see Kate. Then suddenly, it dawned on him that his baby sister was a prostitute. "Kate, what are you doing here?!" Arthur demanded.

"What do you mean?" but she knew exactly what he meant.

"I mean in this club, in this room, in this clothes!"

"Well… dad and I need money. So my friend Paul gave me this job," she explained.

"Kate, you need to get out of this place and away from these people. They're not your friends, they're drug addicts. If you need money, I'll give you money. You and dad can live with me – "

"You're wrong!" Kate interrupted, "These people are my friends! They helped me; they took care of me when no one else would. Do you know what it's like, living in a tiny, roach-infested apartment, cooking and cleaning and going to school, not having any money, not being able to have a normal life?" her voice broke and tears started pouring down her cheeks.

"Listen to me, its okay. Everything will be alright Katie. You'll move to a different place, you'll have lots of money, you won't have to cook or clean, you can go to school and get new things and live normally… but you have to leave these people and this terrible job," Arthur felt so bad that all those years, he and his mom were living in comfort while his dad and Kate were struggling to earn a penny. "Tomorrow," Arthur said, "You're getting out of here."

KAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAK

"We're here," Bob took the blindfold off DW's eyes. DW found herself in an alleyway with a trash can and three doors leading inside a building. Bob took out a small key and shoved it into the lock of one of the doors. He pulled it open to reveal a dark stairway leading down. "Walk," he commanded. DW slowly made her down the steep stairs.

At the bottom of the stairs was a door. Bob opened the door and shoved DW into the room. "You're gonna stay here for the next three days. Scream all you want, the room is soundproof. And no one is gonna come for you anyways. There's no way out DW, so have fun." Bob closed the door.

DW looked around her. There was a small cot in the room, a toilet, a sink, and two doors. She scanned the room for windows or air systems or anything else she could use to escape. The only way out if this room was out the doors, but that was about as likely as getting flushed down the toilet. She sat down on the hard cot and put her head in her hands, thinking about what it would be like if she ran away from these crazy people.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

Arthur opened his eyes to find his baby sister sleeping soundly on the other bed in the room. "It wasn't a dream," he told himself. The silence of the room was interrupted by a bang on the door.

"Kate! KATE! I need to talk to you!" a voice came from outside the door.

"One second," Kate mumbled sleepily as she sat up in the bed, "I need money," she mouthed to Arthur. Arthur reached into his wallet and gave her all the cash he had. Kate opened the door and left the room.

"Good morning, Kate. How was that?" asked Paul.

"Great," she replied and handed Paul the money. He counted it and gave her one third.

"Katie, I need you to do a different kind of job for a couple of days, is that alright with you?" Paul told her.

"It depends what the job is…"

"Well, all you gotta do is take a tray of food down to the basement twice a day, open a door, and make sure it's locked," replied Paul.

"And don't let anyone out," added a man that Kate has never met before as he walked into the room, "And if you do, you're dead."


	8. Chapter 8

Author's Note: this chapter is my personal favorite

**Author's Note: ****this chapter is my personal favorite. I really hope you all enjoy it. Everyone who reviewed my story, thank you very much for reviewing. Reviews really make my day :) Which is why I need 8 more reviews before I post the next chapter, (evil laughter) so please review, because this chapter literally ends in a cliffhanger. **

Chapter Eight

"Okay," Kate answered, "I'll do it."

"Wonderful. You can start right now. Go to the kitchen and you'll find the tray along with the key. After you're done, put the key back in the kitchen."

Kate nodded and made her way to the kitchen. She grabbed the keys and took the tray. She walked over to the door leading to the basement. Despite the fact that she was going to get out of this place today and never go back, she wondered who this food was for. Was it some dangerous criminal that had to be locked up, or possibly a werewolf? She was surprised when she opened the door to find a girl only a few years older than her. "H-hi…" Kate said quietly.

"Hi," replied the girl. She took a good look at Kate and then approached her. Kate ran out of the room and shut the door before the girl got too close. "Please!" the girl banged on the door, "Help me! Let me out of here!"

"I'm sorry, I can't," Kate said softly.

"Please help me!" the girl screamed tearfully as Kate ran up the stairs, "Don't go! Help me!" she begged.

When Kate reached the top of the staircase she felt really sorry for this girl. She believed Arthur about these people being bad. _I'm leaving today anyways_ she thought, _I might as well take that poor girl with me. _She went back down the stairs. "Why did they lock you up?" Kate asked.

"Those people, they kidnapped me a really long time ago…" the girl responded. Kate remembered what the girl looked like: she was really pale, and had cuts and bruises all over her. Kate felt lucky because even her life wasn't that bad compared to the girl's.

"Don't worry," Kate told the girl, "I'll be back soon and I will get you out of here."

oO0OooO0Oo oO0OooO0OooO0OooO0OooO0OooO0OooO0OooO0OooO0OooO0Oo

"Arthur, you were right," Kate said sadly, "These people are awful. There's some girl down in the basement, she said they kidnapped her a long time ago. She's all covered in scars and bruises… it's so sad. We have to get her out."

"That's terrible…" he said, then a thought crossed his mind, "Kate, did you get her name?"

"No…" she paused, "You think it could be DW?"

Arthur nodded. "Kate, do you have a key to that room?"

"Yeah, it's in the kitchen."

"Go get it. Give it to me and then get out of here. Say you got to buy something… I'll meet you later in… the mall. The more people there the better," Arthur said.

"Alright," Kate ran out of the room and went to the kitchen. She made sure no one was in the kitchen, grabbed the key and ran back to Arthur. "Here," she said, "The door to the basement is down the hall to the right."

"Okay. Now get out of here and be careful," Arthur told her, "I'll see you soon."

KAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKAKA

Slowly and carefully, not to make too much noise, Arthur opened the door and went down the stairs. He silently slid the key into the keyhole and turned the doorknob. He saw the girl Kate was talking about lying asleep on a cot. Cautiously, Arthur closed the door behind himself. He walked towards the sleeping girl and gently tapped her on the shoulder to wake her up. Quickly, she sat up in her bed.

"Hi," Arthur whispered.

"Who are you?" the girl asked, fear in her voice.

"I'm here to get you out," he replied. "Come on."

The girl's eyes widened in shock. She hopped of her bed and stood up. "Really?" she asked in disbelief, "You're really going to get me out of here?"

Arthur nodded. "Come on, we don't have much time." He examined the room for a few seconds, "Does that other door lead outside?"

"Yeah," she answered quickly. She couldn't believe that she was actually being rescued.

Arthur dashed to the other door and tried the key. In fit in the lock, and the door slowly creaked open. "Let's go!" he motioned her towards the door. The girl quickly raced out the door.

"I'm out! I can't believe this! Thank you so much! You saved me!" she half-shouted.

"Shhhh! Don't thank me yet, we still have to get away from this place alive."

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"Paul!" Lola shouted, "The key from the basement is gone!"

"Oh no!" Paul yelled, "Kate must have let out that girl!" he raced to the basement to find the door unlocked. "No, no, no! Bob is gonna kill us all!" Paul shouted. "Lola, get a car and go after them! They couldn't have gone very far!"

--

"I can't believe that little bitch betrayed us like that!" Lola muttered furiously.

"After all we've done for her," Paul added as he drove the car, "When I find her… that's it, I had enough of treating that bitch so nicely. She's not even that little anymore… what do you say we kill her and sell her organs on the black market?"

"What?" Lola gasped in shock.

"Chill babe, I'm kidding," Paul chuckled.

"But it would get us some good drug money," Lola smiled, "Hey Paul! Look!" Lola pointed out the window.

"That's that guy that spent the night with Kate!" he yelled as he drove the car faster.

"RUN! As fast as you can!" Arthur told the girl as he noticed that they were being followed. She did as he told her. Arthur ran towards the car "What the hell do you want you son of a bitch?" he shouted at Paul.

"You! You let that girl out!" Paul shouted back.

"So what if I did? What are you gonna do about it?" Arthur asked mockingly.

"I'm gonna kill you," replied Paul furiously.

"Give it your best shot," with those words, Arthur ran towards a yellow taxi he saw standing on the side of the road. He yanked open the door and got in.

"Get out of the car!" he shouted and handed the taxi driver some money.

"What?" the confused, frightened taxi driver stared at him.

"Just get out of the car! Please!" yelled Arthur and shoved the man out the door. He started the taxi and the car chase began. Paul and Lola's car was following closely behind him, and Arthur began going faster, exceeding the speed limit.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

DW was happier than she has ever been before. She was finally set free from those dreadful kidnappers, and now, running on the familiar streets of Elwood City, filled her heart with joy. She was running, but she didn't know where. She had nowhere to go and no one to go to, so she just kept running. She stopped to catch her breath. She looked around her: she remembered the places around her, although a lot has changed, but a lot stayed the same as well. She noticed that she was right across the street from the mall where her mom used to take her shopping when she was little. DW had nowhere else to go, so she decided to go walk around the mall.

As she walked in through the door, she remembered her early childhood, before those evil people kidnapped her and tore her away from her family and friends. All of a sudden, she noticed a girl running towards her.

"Oh my god!" the girl exclaimed, "You're out! You're okay!"

DW noticed that it was the girl who brought her the food and she knew that she was free thanks to her. "Thank you! Thank you so much for helping me!" DW felt tears of joy rising in her eyes as she hugged the girl.

"No problem, DW" the girl replied.

"You… know my name...?" DW thought it was strange, the way the girl said her name.

"Well, why shouldn't I? You're my sister," replied Kate.

"Oh my god! Kate?!" DW thought she was dreaming.

KDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDW

Arthur felt like he has been driving for hours although he knew it must have been only minutes. They were now chasing him down a highway, and Arthur could hear distant police sirens. "I'm so screwed," he thought. The people after him were closing in on him, and he couldn't keep his eyes on the road since he had to turn around to see how close they are. All of a sudden, Arthur felt the ground under him become bumpy and rough. He felt himself being lifted off the ground. When he looked ahead, he realized that he was flying off cliff.


	9. Chapter 9

Author's Note: I hope you all enjoyed my story so far

**Author's Note:**** I hope you all enjoyed my story so far. Here is chapter nine. It is the last chapter I publish before I go on a month-and-a-half trip so I won't update for a while. Thank you everyone who read and/or reviewed my story. Enjoy :) **

Chapter Nine

"So that guy that got me out was Arthur?" DW smiled.

"Yeah," Kate said, "He said he'll meet me here. Do you wanna get some ice cream while we wait?"

"Wow… I haven't had ice cream since I was four years old!" DW forgot what it was like to be free. Kate and DW sat down at a table in the food court and talked.

It was already night time and everything in the mall was closed. Arthur still hasn't shown up. "What if those people did something to him?" DW said, fear in her voice, "What if they killed him?"

"DW, you can stay at my apartment. I am gonna go back to the club and find out what happened," Kate told her as she got up.

"Wait! No! Those people are dangerous, Kate. What if they know you helped get me out, and what if they're angry?" DW was glad to take the role of being Kate's big sister again.

"But we have to find out what happened to Arthur," Kate told DW, "And those people might be dangerous but they wouldn't hurt me."

DWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWK

DW walked into the apartment where Kate lived with their dad. If she was lucky, she would get to see her father soon. Kate had insisted on going back to the club to find out what happened to Arthur, so DW was alone. She noticed how small this apartment was compared to their old home, and she also noticed that it reeked of alcohol. "Wow… does Kate drink?" DW wondered. She realized that the smell was coming from the broken bottles of alcohol lying around the floor. DW walked into a tiny room which she understood to be Kate's bedroom. She realized now this wasn't much better than the rooms she stayed in. Then, a piece of paper sticking out from under Kate's pillow caught her eye. She pulled the paper out and took a look at it. When she saw it, tears started pouring out of her eyes uncontrollably. The paper was an old family photo: there were her parents, grandma Thora, Arthur, Kate and DW.

DW felt her heart race as the squeak of a door opening startled her. She cautiously made her way towards the door to see who it was. A smile spread across her tear-stained face as she watched her father walk into the house. "Daddy!" DW rushed to see her dad.

"Who a-are youuuu?" he muttered.

"Dad, it's me! DW!"

"Whooooooooooooo?" his voice sounded really tired.

"Your daughter! Remember me? I got kidnapped when I was little and – "

"I don't hhhhaaaaave any kiiiiids…" he groaned, "I ammm only seventeeeeen."

"Dad, don't you remember me?" DW cried.

"Get off my tree you caterpillar…" he laughed, then buckled to the ground, "NOW!" he pushed her towards the door, "GET OUT!"

DW miserably walked out the door, feeling heartbroken. Then, she realized that those alcohol bottles belonged to him and not to Kate. Her father has turned into an alcoholic.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

As Kate made her way to the club, she couldn't help but overhear an intriguing conversation.

"I can't believe it… right in our little town," said one of the three aging ladies standing on a nearby street corner.

"I heard that he was a spy going on a secret mission to destroy a terrorist organization!" said another lady.

"What? No, Dottie. That's not right. I heard that he was a serial killer," said the third lady.

"Whoever he is, that guy is crazy: driving off a cliff in a stolen taxi after going on a high-speed car chase. When the cops and the ambulance got there, he had almost every bone in his body broken and lost about half his blood."

"They said on the news that he's in a hospital right now. His chances of surviving are really low. Serves him right… killing all those young women…"

"No Lucile, you got it all wrong. He's not a serial killer – he's a spy!"

"Excuse me," Kate came up to the three arguing women, "This guy, do you know his name?" she held her breath, hoping, praying that what she felt was wrong.

"Something with the letter "a"…" said the lady named Dottie, "Was it… Andrew Write?"

"No, his name is Arthur Read," said Lucile.

"No…" whispered Kate shutting her eyes tightly, wishing she didn't hear that.

"Why, sweetheart, you know him?" asked Lucile.

Kate couldn't speak so she nodded quietly. She gulped down the teary lump rising in her throat and managed to squeak out a quiet question "Do you know what hospital they took him to?"

"Honey, there's only one hospital here that takes on such badly injured patients," said Dottie, "Elwood City hospital."

"Thank you," Kate mumbled and started running back to her apartment.


	10. Chapter 10

**AUTHOR'S NOTE:** First of all, I would like to say how extremely sorry I am for not updating for such a long time. I have been overwhelmed with school projects and such, and aside from that my own family has been doing a bit of breaking lately. Second of all, I think this chapter is somewhat different than the others. I am not sure if it's good different or bad different, so I hope you guys will let me know (cough cough review cough cough) And third and last, THANK YOU so much everyone for reading, reviewing and being patient! I really hope you'll like this chapter.

Chapter 10

_Arthur knew he was asleep but he couldn't wake up. He heard voices and felt people crowding around him. He felt sharp pain in every single part of his body and he could still feel the sensation of flying down the cliff. Arthur could still see the view outside the taxi's windshield flashing in front of him like lightning. He could feel himself crashing into the ground and the car rolling over again and again and again, bouncing up and down. Then, the car came to a slow stop. Arthur remembered climbing out the shattered window, broken glass pressing into his skin. Once he was out, he rolled further down the cliff. The sound of the taxi exploding into flames still rung through his head. He could feel the overwhelming heat and the crackling flames. He could hear the loud sound of paramedic helicopters landing. He could hear the paramedics say "oh man, this guy isn't gonna make it." Arthur tried to relax, he tried to ignore the agonizing pain. "How could I have survived?" he thought, "How could I still be alive after all that?" He tried to hear what the voices around him were saying but it was no use. "Am I dead?" Arthur wondered. "No…I'm not that lucky."_

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

DW sat silently outside her father's apartment, heartbroken, her face in her hands. _This isn't how it was supposed to be_ she thought. Throughout the years she thought of about a million variations of what would happen when – _if_ she got away. This wasn't one of them. _No, no, no… how could this have happened? _DW thought as she buried her face in her hands. _Mom wasn't supposed to die. Dad wasn't supposed to be an alcoholic. Kate_ _wasn't supposed to be a prostitute. Arthur wasn't supposed to_ – just then, DW saw Kate running across the narrow hallway over to where she was sitting.

"DW! We have to go!" Kate shouted.

"What? Where?" DW slowly stood up.

"Arthur… drove off a cliff…" Kate said quietly.

"What?" gasped DW, "Is he – is he… alive?"

"He's alive, for now at least. He's in the hospital. We have to see him!"

_Oh god, _thought DW, _this wasn't supposed to happen._

DWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWK

"Doctor, please. We need to know now," Kate pleaded, "Just give us a straight answer. How much of a chance is there that he's…"

"Look, there is no way to be sure now. We'll have to wait until after the transplants and the surgery to be sure," the doctor replied in a cold voice, irritated at Kate's stubborn questions. "Now, please excuse me. I need to get back to work." The doctor walked out the door, leaving Kate and DW standing in the middle of the empty, white-walled hospital waiting room.

"I feel like there's something he's not telling us," Kate mumbled wearily.

"I know," DW said softly. She soundlessly walked to the side and set herself down in a grey, leather-covered chair. Kate followed but remained standing. She still couldn't believe everything that was going on. Kate walked across to the other side of the room, trying to occupy her thoughts by reading a colorful poster on the wall. She stared at the poster until the words and pictures became a large, blurry blob in front of her eyes. She turned around, giving DW a quick glance, making sure that her silent sister hasn't vanished into the air.

Suddenly, DW popped up in her seat, a slight smile forming on her bruised face. "This place…" she began quietly, "It brings back memories." DW tried hard to keep that smile on her face. "You know, when mom was pregnant with you," she tried to push back the tears piling up in her eyes, "she was in this hospital. Arthur and I were staying at grandma Thora's, when dad called. I picked up the other phone while grandma was talking to him. He said that mom's was in labor, and that the baby, you, had started coming out." DW smiled through blurry eyes. "And as soon as grandma hung up the phone, Arthur and I ran to her, as fast as we could, begging her to take us to the hospital. It was two in the morning; of course, at first she refused, but she gave in eventually. She always did…"

Kate smiled. She walked over to her sister and sat down in the chair beside her.

DW continued, "So she drove us to the hospital. I remember like it was yesterday. Then dad found us and took us to this exact waiting room. I remember sitting here, hoping the whole time that you were going to be a girl; that I was going to have a baby sister." DW looked at Kate, unable to control the tears running out of her eyes. "And then, after what seemed like hours, the doctor came in. And he said that it was done, that we could come now. I ran as fast as I could" she let out a quiet laugh "Almost ran into the wall. And then the door opened and I walked in. And I see mom lying on a cot, this tiny little pink bundle in her arms – "

The sudden opening of the door interrupted DW's story. "Which one of you would like to be the donor?" asked the cheerful voice of an aging nurse.

DWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWKDWK

"Come on DW, Arthur is my brother too. I want to help as much as you do," Kate grumbled as she watched her sister settle down on a cot.

"Look, Kate…" DW scowled, closed her eyes for a second, then opened them and looked up at her little sister, "You have to understand. I need to be the one doing this. You and Arthur saved me. After all those years of me being trapped – "she lowered her voice, "Trapped with those people, after all they've done to me, do you know how much that means to me? Do you know how thankful I am that Arthur risked his life, that you risked your life, to save me? And look what happened. Arthur drove off a cliff and it's _my fault…"_

"DW, it's not your fault – "

"It _is_ my fault. And I won't be able to live with myself if I don't save Arthur in some way. And you know that I can't just let you get on this chair – that would make me a bad sister, to both of you… I know you want to help. Of course you do… but I can't let you do it; this blood transplant and kidney transplant." She watched Kate as she sat in down on a small, blue chair across from her. "You've lost your childhood, your innocence, you normal life that you desereved. All because I was stupid enough to hop into some stranger's car and let them break our family. Katie…" DW felt tears dropping out of her red-rimmed eyes once again, "I can't let you lose anything else…"

Kate bit her lip and stared solemnly at the ground. This all felt like some strange movie to her. She wasn't used to listening to these kinds of talks. All she could do was nod, unable to look up at DW.

"Hello," that same, cheerful nurse entered the room, eyeing the girls carefully. "Oh, sweetie," she noticed DW's wet eyes, "It's going to be okay."

DW nodded wordlessly and exchanged a short look with Kate.

"The doctor will be here in a minute… with you brother," the nurse said carefully.

"Good," Kate sighed, looking up at the ceiling, tracing the pattern of the tiles with her eyes.

The nurse gave the girls another meaningful glance. "Everything is going to be okay," she repeated.

"I know," whispered DW, "It has to be."


	11. Chapter 11

Author's note: hey everyone. I am extremely sorry for not updating for such a long time. Its just that I have been so busy in the fast few months… but its summer now, and my writer's block is gone. So here is chapter eleven. Again, I am very, **VERY** sorry for not updating. I'll try to be more consistent in updating this story. Thank you very much for being patient. I hope you enjoy this chapter. Please review :)

- Chevy

Chapter 11

"Hello. I'm Dr. Parker. You must be DW." After what seemed like hours, the door opened silently and a gentle, female voice spoke. "And you must be Kate," Dr. Parker turned to the younger girl and smiled.

"Hi," DW replied in a coarse voice. Kate politely smiled back at the doctor without a word.

"Kate, I'm sorry, but I'm going to have to ask you to leave the room. This is a pretty complicated surgery considering – " the doctor bit her lip, leaving her sentence unfinished.

"Considering what?" Kate asked, her wave of impatience coming back.

"Well, the condition that your brother is in," she gave the girls a sympathetic look, "I'm sorry that you have to go through all of this." She watched as Kate walked over to the door, getting a hold of the doorknob. Dr. Parker opened her mouth, unsure whether to speak or not. She decided to give it a shot, "Girls… I know it's hard to believe people when they say they know how you feel," she said softly "but I do. I know what its like, and if you need anything, I'm here to help."

DW nodded. Kate gave her sister one last glance and left the room.

Dr. Parker headed to the cupboards and took out various surgery equipment, setting it on a nearby table. She concentrated for a while on setting it up, leaving DW watching, motionless and silent. "You know, you surprise me," Dr. Parker broke the silence.

"In what way?" DW's throat was dry and she spoke in a low, scratchy voice.

"You don't look scared at all," the doctor remarked, impressed, "No fidgeting with your hands, nervous breathing or pacing back and forth. You know, most other people would be terrified to such an extent that they would have to show some sign of fear," she offered a smile, "Not you."

"Yeah," DW nodded, staring at an imaginary spot in the air, "I guess I'm used to the suspense of waiting for pain." She immediately regretted her words when her eyes met the doctor's.

"I'm sorry," Dr. Parker answered with an unreadable expression on her face. For a second, DW thought she saw guilt in the surgeon's young eyes. Finally, Dr. Parker hesitantly picked up a small radio transceiver from the table below her. "We're ready," she uttered.

DWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDWDW

After about half an hour Kate got tired of waiting by the door. She decided to go over to the hospital food court and get something to calm her nerves. Kate always hated hospitals. This tense environment, the smell of medication and the monotone white walls, floor and ceiling were irritating her extremely. She quickly passed down the narrow corridors, trying to avoid looking into open doors.

The comforting smell of coffee lured Kate over to one of the stands. She reached into the pocket of her jeans, pulling out a five-dollar bill. "One medium coffee please," she mumbled at the tired-looking saleslady in front of her on the other side of the stand, "Preferably black," she added.

"Coming up," the aging lady grumbled in a deep voice, matching the expression on her face.

It looked as though the lady was purposely taking as long as possible to make the coffee. Kate clenched her teeth to stop herself from swearing. Finally, the lady pushed the steaming cup towards Kate, along with two small packs of sugar. "That will be three dollars and fifty cents please," her voice sounded almost like whining. It reminded Kate of a cow's mooing. Kate handed the lady her five-dollar bill, telling her quietly that she can keep the change. Kate didn't intent to wait another hour for her one dollar and fifty cents.

Kate hurried to a nearby table, knowing that her cup of coffee would soon be at her feet thanks to her trembling hands. She grasped the cup as though it were a lifeline and carefully placed it on her selected table. Then, with similar caution, Kate sat down on the cold, metal chair which stood by the table. She placed her hands on the warm cup and leaned over it, letting the steam heat up her pale, icy face. Kate felt the world around her slowly disappear as she drifted into her thoughts.

Kate lost track of time, and even her location. Her deep thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a metal chair being dragged across the floor. "Hello, Kate," coaxed a familiar voice.

KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

"They're coming," Dr. Parker informed DW. Just as she finished, footsteps sounded outside the door. Dr. Parker checked DW's face, as if looking for approval to let them in. DW felt her heart pounding against her chest and she looked away from the door. She heard two people walk in with a stretcher. DW was afraid to turn around. She heard as they set down the stretcher on a table. The people said they will be right back, and then they can begin. They walked out the door. DW felt Dr. Parker's eyes on her, watching with that gentle, sorry gaze.

"Now I am scared," DW whispered.

"Don't worry, you'll be sleeping the whole time," assured the doctor.

"No, I'm not scared of that," DW sighed, "It's just that… I don't want to see him hurt. I'm scared of what I might see, this _condition_ that everyone refuses to describe…"

"This _condition_… it might be… well, bad, to say the least, but after this he'll get better. You'll see, everything will turn out okay," Dr. Parker tried her best to sound as confident about this as possible. She knew her words were unlikely.

DW held her breath and turned around. She stared silently, in devastating shock, at what was left of her brother. "Oh my god," DW felt numb, unable to move or even breathe. There was blood everywhere. More than she has ever seen in her life. There was not a single spot on Arthur's body which wasn't bandaged or in a cast. Large, black bruises covered whatever was visible of his skin. DW saw about thirty different tubes attached to his face, arms, and chest. "Oh my god," she repeated, still frozen.

The doctor didn't know how to reply. She came over to DW, looking pretty devastated herself, and put an arm around her. DW shook the arm off her shoulder and solemnly walked over to her older brother's broken, half-dead body. She felt hot tears gushing out of her eyes as she whispered, "This is my fault. All my fault."


	12. Chapter 12

**Author's note:**this chapter introduces some new ideas I guess, kind of turning the plot around in a different way. I hope you like it. And… I know I have absolutely no right to do this, considering what a terrible job I have done at updating, but I'll do this anyways, because I live off reviews. Three reviews please, and then chapter 13 :) Sorry. I hope you enjoy this…

Chapter 12

_The doctor didn__'__t know how to reply. She came over to DW, looking pretty devastated herself, and put an arm around her. DW shook the arm off her shoulder and solemnly walked over to her older brother__'__s broken, half-dead body. She felt hot tears gushing out of her eyes as she whispered, "This is my fault. All my fault."_

"No it's not," Arthur tried speaking out, "DW, it's okay. It's not your fault. Don't blame yourself," of course, no words came out. He watched desperately as a doctor led his sister away, helping her back down onto the cot. He felt odd staring at his body from outside of it. Over the last few hours he had discovered that he was able to walk around through walls, objects and people without anyone seeing him, even though he could clearly see himself. "Come on," he sighed, trying again, "Can't you see me? Can't you feel some sort of _presence_, or whatever I am right now? DW, can't you hear anything?" he shook his head, knowing that there was no point. He has read and watched movies about out-of-body experiences before, but he has never actually believed in them. "So ghosts are real," he announced to himself, somewhat sarcastically "And I am one of them. And to think, all this time, I thought they were made up." He stared back at his deformed body. "At least I don't feel as awful as I look," he muttered with sarcastic optimism.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"Great to see you again, Katie," the familiar, mocking voice laughed slightly. Kate popped her head up, afraid to meet the eyes of its owner.

"Paul," she whispered.

"The one and only," he taunted. He enjoyed seeing the fear in Kate's eyes. She didn't speak. "Kate, do you remember what I told you about letting out that girl?" his tone, full of obviously fake patience, reminded Kate of how Paul talked to her when she was smaller.

"That girl," Kate stammered, trying to build up courage "is my sister."

Paul raised an eyebrow, "And that idiot who drove off a cliff… let me guess, he's your brother?"

"Actually, yes," she replied, "And he's not an idiot."

"Aw, how cute, Katie, you're getting all defensive," Paul snarled. He held her gaze, intimidating her. "What about us, Katie? Lola, the others and me? Aren't we like family to you? Weren't we the ones there for you, taking care of you, protecting you from your alcoholic daddy?" his tone gained anger as he spoke, "Why would you let us down like that? Don't you give a shit what happens to us? These guys are more than we've ever dealt with. Ever. And you set them against us. Thanks to you, we're all going to die now!"

Kate stood up. "I'm sorry Paul, I really am. But DW is my sister. When I went down to give her the tray of food… have you even _seen _her? I have never seen a girl look so bruised and scratched and cut before! It broke my heart. And when I found out that she was my sister, you _know_ there was no other option for me…" Kate could see the anger disappear from Paul's eyes. "If you were in my place," she added quietly, "I know you would do the same thing." With that, Kate turned around and walked away. She couldn't help remembering the frightening stranger's words: _"Don'__t let anyone out. And if you do, you__'__re dead." _

KPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKPKP

"HELLO?! Can't anybody see me? Dammit!" Arthur shouted as he ran around the hospital, hoping to find someone that would notice. "ANYBODY?" Arthur popped his head through the door of a crowded waiting room, the people all staring up at the TV screen in excitement.

"And the search goes on for the others involved in the car accident that has left a young man, now identified by police as Arthur Read, hospitalized," the reporter spoke through the screen. "The hospital has told media that Read's conditions are serious, and his chances of survival are very slim."

"Oh, come on, that's bullshit…" Arthur grumbled, "I'm not gonna die…" Then he remembered what his body looked like. "On second thought…"

"Police are currently investigating the cause behind this car chase which has been the subject oif almost every conversation in our little town," the reporter continued, "Muffy Crosswire, Elwood City News. Now we'll be getting into sports with Pete Hollinger. Pete?" "Thank you Muffy. Today in sports - "

"Muffy a reporter?" Arthur shook his head, a slight smirk on his face. _Look at me… the talk of the whole town. I am quite the celebrity, _Arthur thought sarcastically. _Now, how the hell do I get back into my body? _He walked back into the hallway, remembering how much he hated hospitals. As he reached the front hospital, a shady figure wearing a tight hood caught his eye. "Son of a…" Arthur muttered under his breath as he realized who it was. "Hey! Where the hell do you think you're going? Get the hell back here you son of a bitch!"

The figure turned around. _Did he hear me? _Arthur thought. The man walked towards him, staring him straight in the face. "I'm gonna kill you," Arthur threatened, "I swear." The man did not seem to react, as though he has not heard. He kept walking towards him. "Don't pretend you didn't hear me you piece of shit. When I wake up the first thing I do - " just then the man walked right through Arthur. "What the hell?" Arthur turned around to find the man standing across from a doctor - the one that was in the room with DW.

"Paul, please tell me you didn't do this…" she said, her voice low.

"Okay, _Dr._ _Parker, _I did not do this," Paul replied.

"Tell me the truth Paul. What the hell did you do?" she sighed.

"Rachel - " Paul shook his head, "Sorry. I mean, _Julie_. I didn't have a choice. That guy helped the girl get away. If I didn't try to stop him, Bob would kill me, and Lola and everyone else. What was I supposed to do?"

"You were supposed to call the fucking cops, Paul. Do you know what they've done to this girl?" Dr. Parker half-shouted.

"Yes, thank you, I am well aware of what Bob does to little girls. But the _cops?_ What the hell are you smoking?" Paul yelled, traces of anger beginning to show in his voice.

"Keep it down, Paul," she said coldly.

"Come on Rachel, what do you want from me, dammit? You refuse to see me for three years, now you're talking to me like I'm some sort of murderer…"

"I refuse to see you for a reason, Paul. That boy is going to die. Because of you. And you know Bob is going to find Kate, and DW, and after torturing them until they're unconscious, he'll kill them. Because of you. And you're saying you're not a murderer?"

"What do you want me to do, turn against my friends?"

"Your _friends_?"

"People I owe my life to. You want me to turn them in to the cops?"

"What I want, Paul, is for that poor family to stop suffering already. And I want you to realize your mistake and fix it. But I never get what I want…" with those words, Dr. Parker walked away, leaving Paul standing in the middle of the large foyer.

"What the hell?" Arthur repeated.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

"Are we ready?" Dr. Parker asked as she walked into the operating room.

"Yes, doctor," replied the team of surgeons.

"DW?" Dr. Parker looked at the terrified girl, "Are you alright?" DW nodded. "Okay," Dr. Parker took a deep breath, and gave DW anaesthetics. DW looked up at the doctors standing over her, took one last glance at Arthur and gave in to the desire to sleep.

"Dr. Parker?" one of the surgeons spoke up.

"Yes?" she said without taking her eyes off what she was doing.

"I really don't think this is necessary…" the surgeon spoke hesitantly, "I mean, there is such a small chance that this surgery will be successful. And this procedure might harm the girl. Considering the patient's chances of survival, doing this is just being very unfair to both of them."

"Dr. Wesley, I don't want to hear it," Dr. Parker snapped, "Just do your job."

"I don't get why you - "

"Just _do your job!_"

DWADWADWADWADWADWADWADWADWADWADWADWADWADWADWA

_That was weird,_ Arthur thought about the conversation he has just witnessed, _maybe being invisible isn't all that bad…_

Arthur wandered back to the operating room. "Oh god…" he muttered, seeing himself lying cut open on an operating table. He turned to DW, who was also lying on an operating table, also cut open. "You know, you really didn't have to do this," he told her sadly, as though she would be able to hear. Arthur couldn't watch, and left the room. He reached another waiting room, watching as a man about his age persistently bothered a receptionist.

"You have to tell me what room!" he insisted, "Please, this is very important. I have to see him."

"I told you, he is currently in surgery. I am afraid you're going to have to wait until tomorrow," the receptionist answered in frustration.

"Just tell me the - " he cut himself off. Arthur watched as the young man turned around to face him. "Arthur?" he asked in shock.


	13. Chapter 13

**Author's note:** new character, new ideas. First I was a bit reluctant to add in new characters, but now I am glad I did because it changes the storyline in my opinion for the better. Hope you like it. Please read and review. Four reviews please, and then I'll post a new chapter.

Chapter 13

"Arthur?!" he repeated, his eyes widening as he spoke.

"You can see me?" Arthur was equally shocked.

"But you're in surgery!" the man managed to say.

"Sir? Who in the world are you talking to?" the receptionist reached his side, staring into the spot Arthur was standing in.

"What the hell is going on?" the young man asked.

"I wish I knew, man," Arthur shook his head, "I guess I'm a… ghost."

"Oh my god. Arthur… no. This can't be real. I'm seeing things…"

"Trust me dude, I'm real. I'm right here,"

"Sir," the receptionist took him by the arm, "Why don't you sit down for a few minutes? Have a drink of water. We have some great doctors in this building. They'll help you - "

The man pushed her away and approached Arthur. "Thomas, its great to see you man," Arthur said after a long pause.

"Right back at you, little cousin," Thomas replied, and put a hand on Arthur's shoulder. His hand went right through him. "Wow, you really are a ghost…"

"Sir? Just take a seat. The doctors will be here as soon as possible," the receptionist assured.

"Thanks, but no thanks," Thomas told the receptionist.

"Get out of here before they drag you to the psych ward and strap you down to a bed," Arthur suggested, a smile forming on his face. Thomas followed the suggestion and Arthur went after him.

ATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATATAT

"How did it go?" Kate rushed to the doctor that walked out the door.

"How did what go?" the doctor asked, allowing Kate to walk beside him as he hurried down the hall.

"The surgery…"

"Sweetie, its been _half an hour._ There is no transplant in the world that could possibly be over in half an hour," the doctor replied.

"I could have sworn it has at least been four hours," Kate sighed.

"I'm sorry," the doctor gave her a sympathetic glance. They were back at the operating room again. "Look, you're not allowed to be here. I don't know how you have gotten past the receptionists to the operating room before, but you cannot wait by the door. Why don't you go to the cafeteria, or the gift shop? Maybe go on a walk?" he suggested. Kate nodded politely.

"This is going to be a long day," she muttered under her breath as the doctor walked into the room and closed the door behind him. Kate slowly made her way down through the identical hospital hallway, feeling as though the white walls, ceiling and floors were pressing down on her. She kept her eyes down, not wanting to face the countless doctors passing her by.

As Kate neared the exit, she saw a large figure approach her, blocking her way. She looked up to find a tall man standing in front of her, his eyes silently glaring into hers. "Hello, Kate," the deep voice told her.

KKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK

" I can see ghosts," Thomas repeated.

"I am a ghost," Arthur responded, "Beat that." Arthur paused to think. He had so many questions that he didn't know where to start. "How did you find me?" he asked.

"Kind of hard not to. You're all over the news!"

"Finally, my life-long dream of being famous is coming to life…" Arthur muttered sarcastically.

"I am so jealous," Thomas replied with equal sarcasm. "So why the hell did you drive off a cliff?" he turned to Arthur, his tone now serious.

"It's a long story," Arthur sighed.

"Why don't you start at the part where you took off in the middle of the night and disappeared. I couldn't find you anywhere. I was going to go to your house to wish you a merry Christmas, and I see a bunch of cop cars near your store… then I find out your mom is…"

"Dead?" Arthur finished the sentence.

"I'm sorry…" Thomas said quietly. Arthur nodded and turned away. After a long pause, Thomas asked another question. "Where did you go?"

"I looked at the video from the surveillance camera, and I saw the guys that killed my mom. And I saw DW."

"DW?" Thomas echoed in surprise, "Oh my god! After all those years! Is she okay? Where is she? Do they still have her?"

"She's here," Arthur answered, "In the hospital. She's giving me her kidney."

"Wow…" was all Thomas managed to say.

"Kate's here too," Arthur added, "Somewhere in this building."

"Its like a family reunion," Thomas said.

Arthur began speaking, but cut himself off. "Look! There's Kate!" he pointed to the exit of the hospital.

"No way…" Thomas smiled, "_That's_ baby Katie?" he studied the pretty teenage girl his baby cousin has grown into.

"Oh no…" Arthur whispered, noticing the man standing across from her.

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"Oh no? Oh no what?" Thomas impatiently asked for the third time. Arthur was wordlessly staring at Kate and the man talking to her, anger in his eyes.

"That's him," he finally spoke, "The son of a bitch that killed my mom. The same son of a bitch that kidnapped DW." The man held the door leading out of the hospital open, allowing Kate to go through. "What's she doing?" Arthur ran towards them.

"He's dead," Thomas also hurried over to the exit.

"Kate!" Arthur shouted, "Why the hell are you going with him? KATE!" Of course, Kate did not hear or see him.

"Kate! Don't go with him!" Thomas warned, catching up to them.

"Excuse me?" the man thundered, "Who are you to tell my _daughter_ what to do?"

"She's not your daughter!" Thomas argued.

"Tell him, Katie," the man glared at her, his dark eyes piercing into hers. Kate nodded silently, terrified.

"That would be pretty odd…" Thomas said, "Seeing as she's my cousin, and I know who her father is."

"Kate, lets go," the man growled, "Now!"

"Don't listen to him Kate. This man killed your mother!" Thomas shouted.

"Oh my god," Kate whispered. "Oh my god…"

The man grabbed Kate's arm and began dragging her outside. "Let her go!" Thomas followed the man, and grabbed him from behind. He yanked the man's arm, forcing him to let go of Kate.

The man crushed his fist into Thomas's face, knocking him down. "Come on, Kate. Lets go."

Thomas got back up, punched the man back and forced him down on the ground. "Kate, go inside!" Thomas told her, "Run!" The man pushed Thomas onto the ground, and holding him down he punched him in the face. Thomas shoved the man off him and fought back. Finally, two security guards ran up to them. As fast as a lightning bolt, the man got up and burst to his car, the security guards dashing after him. He got in the car and sped away, leaving the guards standing in the dust.

"Dammit!" Thomas cursed, "I can't believe I let the bastard get away!" he slammed his fist into the ground.

"Its alright man," Arthur told him, "At least Kate is safe now." _Besides,_ thought Arthur, _I want to be the one to kill that son of a bitch. _

_------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------_

After explaining to security that the man was just a drunk that was picking a fight, as Arthur insisted, Thomas went back inside to look for Kate. "Arthur, why did you make me lie to the cops?" he turned to his cousin, who was walking next to him.

"We have no time to waste explaining things to the cops. This guy isn't alone. There's a lot of them… and sooner or later they'll come. We have to be here and be prepared to make sure they don't get Kate and DW. We can't involve the cops. Not yet." Arthur explained.

"Wow, man. You going against the cops… who would have thought…" Thomas remarked, surprised at how much Arthur has changed since he has last seen.

"You should probably go talk to Kate now," Arthur changed the subject.

Thomas nodded. "What should I say?" he asked.

"I don't know man. Look, there she is."

Thomas saw Kate sitting down on a bench, resting her head in her hands. _Poor Kate, _he thought. Slowly he approached her and sat himself down beside her. "Hey Kate," he smiled as she looked up, "Remember me?"

"Yeah," she said quietly and smiled back, "I remember you, Thomas."

"Haven't seen you in a while," he acknowledged. Kate nodded.

After a pause, she spoke, "You saved my life," Kate hugged Thomas, and he tightly hugged her back, "Thank you."

"Anytime, Katie," he replied softly.

"I'm so scared…" Kate admitted.

"It'll be okay. You'll see," Thomas attempted to comfort his crying little cousin. "Everything will be okay."

Kate shook her head, "It won't," she cried, "How can things possibly get better?"

"Thomas!" Arthur shouted as he ran over to where they were sitting, panic in his eyes "Take Kate and get the hell out of here. Now!"


	14. Chapter 14

**Author's note:** hello, people. Sorry, I didn't update for about a week or two because I went to my cottage, but I will really try my best now not to leave huge gaps of time in between chapters. I hope you enjoy chapter fourteen. Please review? :)

Chapter 14

_Kate shook her head, "It won't," she cried, "How can things possibly get better?"_

"_Thomas!' Arthur shouted as he ran over to where they were sitting, panic in his eyes, "Take Kate and get the hell out of here. Now!"_

"What? What's going on?" Thomas asked, jumping up off his seat.

"They're here. Lots of them. Take Kate somewhere safe," Arthur replied.

"Where?"

"I don't know… somewhere. Just go!"

"Thomas?" Kate stared at him with concern, "Who are you talking to?"

"We need to get out of here," he told her, taking her by the arm.

"What? Why?" she glared at him in confusion.

"There are people here that want to hurt you. You need to get somewhere safe. Now let's go," Thomas hurried over to the exit, pulling Kate after him. Hesitantly, she followed.

"Who were you talking to?" she questioned.

"That doesn't matter now. Lets just focus on getting out of here."

"Tell me!" she insisted, pulling away from his grasp.

"Not now!" he snapped impatiently, frustrated at Kate's stubbornness "We don't have time for this!" He looked at her, seeing her tearful brown eyes staring back at him, full of fear and confusion. His voice softened, "Kate? Do you trust me?"

Kate was silent. Could she really trust anyone at this point? Then she remembered her cousin, who she hasn't seen since she was six, when he moved away to where Arthur lived. He was like another big brother to her, always comforting her and trying to make her smile. "Of course I trust you," she replied after a pause.

"Do you think I would ever do something to hurt you?" he asked softly.

"No, you wouldn't" she shook her head apologetically.

"Please, just come with me, and I will explain everything when we have time."

"Okay," Kate agreed.

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"Paul, what the hell do we do now? If Kate calls the police, we'll all end up in jail!" Lola inhaled her cigarette, slowly exhaling the smoke.

"She won't call the cops," Paul took Lola's hand and moved it to his mouth, breathing in through the cigarette.

"How can you be so sure?" she grumbled, getting up from her seat and walking over to the window. She rested her arms on the windowsill and blankly stared outside.

"Baby, don't worry," Paul wrapped his arms around Lola's shoulders from behind, resting his chin on her shoulder. Their moment was interrupted by a loud vibration coming from Paul's pocket, followed by the ringing of his cell phone. He released Lola and reached in his pocket, pulling out a shiny slide-phone. "Hello?"

"There is one way for you to fix what you've done," a scratchy voice from the other end of the line told him.

"You mean for what Kate has done," Paul corrected.

"She's your little whore, you're responsible for what she does," the voice thundered, "So are you going to listen or not?"

"Y - yes," Paul stammered, "of course."

"Personally you can't do anything, but you hold the key to getting rid of the one person that could pose a threat to us right now. All you have to do is turn that key."

"I don't understand…"

"Then LISTEN!" the voice snapped. "the only person that could pose a serious threat to us is lying in a coma on life support right now," he went on, "getting rid of him is as simple as pressing a button… or pulling a plug." he stopped, waiting for Paul's reply.

"I still don't understand," Paul frowned, "Its not like I can get myself into that room and - "

"You idiot! I said you have to _turn the key_, not pull the plug!"

"What _key_? What are you talking about?"

"It's a metaphor, idiot! Kids these days!" the voice sighed in aggravation, waiting for Paul to understand. Nothing. "The key is _Rachel_!" the voice grunted, irritated with Paul's narrow mind.

Paul scowled. "No… she would never do that. That wouldn't work…"

"Paul! If you want to get out of this alive, you have to find a way to make her do it. Or you and your girlfriend Lola die."

"Rachel is intent on saving Arthur. She says she doesn't want that family to suffer anymore. There is no way she would pull the plug!" Paul argued.

"Oh, she'll do it. Paul, I think we both know Rachel would do anything for you."

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Thomas got into the driver's seat of his car, slamming the door shut. Kate settled herself in the shotgun seat, lightly pulling her door towards her. "Try harder," Thomas laughed, "It didn't close. You need to eat more, Katie." Kate laughed too, opening the door and crashing it forwards with all her strength, making a deafening thud. "Maybe not…" Thomas said, impressed. "Come on, buckle up," he said jokingly, motioning to the seatbelt "Safety first."

"Right," Kate laughed. Thomas never failed to make her smile. He started the car and drove out of the hospital parking lot.

"So are you going to tell me now?" Kate whined impatiently after about a minute of driving.

"Tell you what?" Thomas mocked.

"What happened back there!" Kate burst out impatiently.

"You won't believe me," he warned.

"Why wouldn't I? I said I trust you…" Kate reminded him.

"This is going to sound a bit crazy…" Thomas admitted.

"Please, just tell me!" Kate implored, "I can handle it! I'm not six anymore."

"Those people… well, I don't know who they are, but I know that they are really bad people, and that they want to kill you. And you know I can't let that happen. They were in the hospital. There was a lot of them, and I had to get you out."

Kate broke in, "Yeah, that part I know. But who were you talking to?" No answer came. "Thomas! I trust you. Do _you_ trust _me_?"

"I was talking to Arthur," he blurted out, "Now stop asking questions. I need to concentrate on the road. The last thing we need right now is for us to drive off a cliff too."

"What? What do you mean you were talking to Arthur?" Kate urged, "What do you mean?"

"I told you it will sound crazy," Thomas repeated. He clicked on the radio, turning up the volume, letting loud music blare through the car.

"Thomas!" Kate slammed the button turning the radio off.

"He's having an out-of-body experience," Thomas explained.

"What?"

"While he's in a coma his spirit, or ghost or whatever you want to call it is wandering around the hospital, and no one can see or hear him. No one except me."

"You're right. That sounds very crazy." Kate agreed. Thomas turned the radio back on, this time even louder. "How come only you can see him? Why can't I?" Kate asked after a moment.

Thomas lowered the volume. "Honestly…" Thomas sighed, "I wish I knew."

"And you can hear him too?" she questioned. Thomas nodded. "What did he tell you?" Kate continued with her questions.

"He told me that the bad guys were in the hospital - that there were a lot of them - and that I need to get you someplace safe. Before that he told me - " Thomas cut himself off. Something in the rear-view mirror caught his eye. "Hey Kate, can you make out who's driving that silver Toyota behind us?"

Kate turned around, and quickly jerked her head back in shock. "Its him! That scary guy that kidnapped DW! Oh my god! He's following us!" Kate panicked, "He's following us! He's going to kill us! He told me if I let DW out he's going to kill me! Oh my god! What if he's got a gun? Oh my god!"

"Kate, you need to calm down," Thomas said, his voice stern and steady, "You have nothing to be afraid of. I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise."

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"Dr. Parker, you have a phone call on line one," a receptionist told her as she walked down the hallway.

"Who?" the young surgeon asked without stopping.

"A young man - "

"Tell him to call back later," Dr. Parker replied, walking away.

The receptionist followed. "It sounds important."

"Trust me, it can wait."

"But Julie, he says its an emergency!"

"Fine!" Dr. Parker huffed, turning around and heading back to the phones. "Hello?" she breathed into the phone.

"How'd the surgery go, Doc?" asked the voice on the other end of the line.

"Paul! I told you not to call me!" she hissed, about to hang up.

"Wait! Don't hang up!" he shouted. Silence. "Rachel!"

"Rachel's gone," she snapped.

"My apology, Dr Julie Parker," Paul snarled.

"What do you want Paul?" she asked impatiently, "The surgery _just finished. _I have better things to do than chat with you."

"Rach - " Paul sighed, "_Julie…"_ he corrected.

"What? I don't have all day Paul. Either you get to the point or I hang up."

"I really need your help. Please."


	15. Chapter 15

**Author's note:** chapter 15! Be warned, towards the end this chapter gets pretty weird. Please read and review? Thanks!

Chapter 15

"Thomas, what are we going to do now?" Kate tried her best to calm down, as asked.

Thomas shrugged. "We'll figure something out. Just try to calm down, alright?" he gave Kate a quick but meaningful glance, "Okay, Kate?"

"Okay," she nodded, breathing in deeply.

"We have to mislead them," Thomas thought aloud after a long silence.

"But how?"

"I'm thinking…"

"Well, hurry up!" Kate whispered in horror, "There something in the other guy's hand. I think it's a gun!"

"It's okay. He's not stupid enough to shoot in front of so many people," Thomas assured. "I got an idea," Thomas said, a slight smile forming on his face as he noticed the drive in car wash on his right. "My car could use a good washing, don't you think?" he made a sharp turn, heading straight to the entrance. He slid down his window and handed a bill to the person in front of the car wash entrance. "Keep the change" he mumbled, closed the window, and drove in.

"Thomas, what are you doing?" Kate asked, "What's your plan?"

"They only let one car in at a time," he reminded as they made their way into the tunnel. After a loud noise, a mass of foam and water splashed onto them. Thomas opened his door. "Get out of the car."

"What? Are you kidding?" Kate stared at him.

"No, I'm not. Now hurry up. We have to get out of here." They popped out of the car, soap and water pouring onto them, soaking them completely.

"I can't see anything!" Kate complained, trying to rub the soap out of her eyes. Thomas took her hand, attempting to lead her out of the tunnel, blocking the soap and water splashing into his face. "Come on, Kate. Walk faster. We need to hurry or they'll find us."

"Thomas… how can you think this will work?" she said in between spitting foam out of her mouth, "What if they meet us on the other side?"

"Just trust me!" he pulled her behind him, almost at the end of the car wash. Finally, they made it out of the car wash, dripping wet with slippery soap water.

"Dry land," Thomas muttered sarcastically, using his sleeve to wipe a chunk of foam out off his face. He looked around, scanning his surroundings for something they could use to escape on. He found his answer in an open bus, standing at a bus stop, about to leave. "Wait!" he shouted to the bus driver, "WAIT!" He made a run for it, dashing towards the bus at all his speed, Kate following. "Open the door!" he yelled right as the bus began to drive away.

"Thomas, they're here!" Kate screamed, grabbing his arm.

"LET US IN! PLEASE!" Thomas shouted desperately as he jumped in front of the bus. The driver slammed the brakes, making a sudden stop.

"Are you crazy?" the bus drive yelled at Thomas, opening the door.

"Thank you!" Thomas breathed out in relief as he and Kate entered the bus. He searched his pocket for bus tickets, but found only a few cents and a piece of paper. He sighed, pulling out a ten dollar bill from his wallet and handing it to the driver. "Please go on, we're in a huge hurry," he said as he glanced back at the people after them, who were hesitantly stepping out of their silver car. The bus driver started the engine and the bus began to move. "Sorry to bother you, sir," Thomas tried his best to be nice to the ignorant bus driver, "But where does this bus go?"

"The airport," he replied impatiently, "Now please take a seat." Thomas and Kate walked over to the far end of the bus and chose a seat in which the would not be seen by the people after them.

"What now?" Kate whispered, keeping her face down, embarrassed to meet the eyes of the curious passengers staring at the two strange, soaking-wet people that jump in front of busses.

"I got an idea," he responded.

"It better be better than the car wash idea," Kate muttered.

"Excuse me, mam?" Thomas turned to an old lady sitting behind him, holding a suitcase in her hand.

"Yes?" she looked up at him suspiciously.

"Um… could I buy something off you?" he gestured towards the suitcase.

"What?" she raised an eyebrow, pulling the suitcase closer to herself.

"How much for two outfits?" Thomas questioned.

"Why would you want my clothes?" she studied his face carefully.

"Uh…" Thomas thought for a while. "Isn't it obvious?" he remembered when he felt water trickle down his head, "We're soaking wet and cold. Please?"

"Well there are plenty of young men and women on this bus," she grumbled, "Why do you want _my _clothes?"

"Umm… well, you see… it's just that - " Thomas' sentence was cut off.

"It's just that it's a really long story, and we'd rather keep it a secret, if that's alright with you. But we'll pay as much as you ask for," Kate truthfully finished Thomas' attempt of an explanation.

"Oh, alright," the lady whispered, excitement in her voice, "I like secrets!" She opened up her suitcase and pulled out two dresses, two hats and a pair of sunglasses. She searched the bottom of suitcase the until she found two pairs of pantyhose and two pairs of shoes. "Here, take this," she offered, her voice quiet but excited.

"Great," Thomas said as he examined their costumes, "Thank you so much."

"That will be three hundred dollars, please," the old lady smiled.

"What? Are you joking?" Thomas groaned.

"What, is that too much?" she huffed, "I mean, those are designer sunglasses and brand-name dresses."

"Could you give us something a bit less expensive?" Thomas tried hard not to lose his patience.

"This is the cheapest I've got," she responded, "Besides," she lowered her voice, again speaking in an excited whisper, "I'm sure your agency can make up for your expenses."

"_Agency?_" Thomas echoed.

"Well, that's what you are, am I right? You're - " she made a dramatic pause, lowering her voice further still, "secret agents!"

"What?" Thomas exclaimed, clapping a hand over his mouth so he won't burst into laughter.

"Yes, mam," Kate whispered back seriously, "But _please,_ keep it down. We don't want anyone to find out!" Suddenly, Kate remembered that this was the same old lady that told her the which hospital Arthur was in. "I mean, when the wrong people find out," Kate went on, "Bad things happen. You know, one of the people in our… agency… was chased down a cliff, and now he's in the hospital."

"I knew it!" the old lady screamed out in excitement and self-pride, "I knew he was a spy, not a serial killer like Lucile said. Oh, wait until she hears this!"

"Please, mam, for the sake of the world's safety, you must help us with our mission," Kate begged, "We really don't have that much money on us…"

"Oh, sweetheart, its alright! Fifty dollars with be fine too! Just the thought of me being able to tell Lucile 'I told you so', is rewarding enough!" the lady responded.

"Thank you so much, Mrs… uh…" Kate trailed off.

"Oh, please, call me Dottie," she smiled.

"Thank you, Dottie," Thomas told her, handing her a fifty dollar bill. He shook her hand, "You're a fine citizen, Dottie. The Secret Service will be very proud of you," he assured her. Thomas and Kate turned around, examining their new clothing. "Where did that come from?" Thomas mouthed to Kate.

"Long story," she giggled, trying on a pair of Dottie's designer sunglasses.

"Oh, agents," Dottie tapped them on the back.

"Please, Dottie, not so loud," Kate reminded.

"Right, right," Dottie nodded, putting a hand over her mouth, "I was thinking. You might want some wigs and make-up."

"Oh, wow…" Thomas hummed as he turned around to find Dottie holding two wigs, one bleach-blond and one orange-red, both with gray streaks and roots in them, "How… realistic."

"Thank you so much, Dottie," Kate smiled, taking the wigs and a bright red lipstick.

"That will be fifty more dollars, please," Dottie felt very proud to be helping the world and earning money for it.

"Fine," Thomas sighed and pulled out another fifty. "So…" he turned to Kate, "Which one do you want? The purple dress with yellow polka dots, or the red one with blue flowers?"


	16. Chapter 16

**Author's Note:**** Hey everyone! I am really sorry for not updating for such a long time… again. Here's chapter sixteen. Hope you enjoy!**

Chapter 16

Suitcases in hand, the three old ladies gracefully made their way through Elwood City Airport. Dottie insisted on having a cheerful conversation as they walked. "Why, to seem less suspicious, of course" she replied when Thomas asked. Neither Kate nor Thomas were in the mood to hear Dottie's chatter, but agreed that they owed her for all her help.

"So, Lucile and I," the old lady rambled on about her life, "We thought it would be real funny if we posed as the backup singers so that we could get backstage. And – this is where it gets really exciting – we actually ran into the bass player! Can you believe it? We certainly couldn't!" The old lady gushed with joy as she recalled story after story. _When is it going to end,_ Thomas thought, exasperated. Kate smiled politely and pretended to listen. "Come on, girls," Dottie exclaimed, "Let's get some lemonade!" she motioned to a nearby drink stand. Thomas gritted his teeth to keep quiet (and to keep himself from biting Dottie). "Please don't call me that," he managed to say in a more-or-less calm tone of voice. Dottie just laughed.

"Three pink lemonades please," Dottie ordered.

"Will that be all?" the cashier asked in a bored, sleepy voice.

"Yes. And she's paying," Dottie motioned to Thomas and smiled wickedly. Kate tried not to burst out in laughter as Thomas tightly clenched his fists.

"That will be fifteen dollars," the cashier said in her monotone voice.

Suddenly a familiar face in the distance caught Kate's eye. "Thomas!" she whispered, nudging her cousin's dress sleeve.

"What is it?" he turned to face Kate whose brown eyes were round and wide with fear.

"It's them," she mouthed, afraid to look back at the face.

The cashier stared wordlessly at the old ladies, stunned at the manly voice of the one that was supposed to pay.

"Don't worry," Thomas's voice was barely a whisper, "They won't recognize us. Just keep your face down." Kate nodded, fixing her eyes at the floor tiles near her feet, taking slow deep breaths to calm herself. Kate's heart skipped a beat when she felt someone tap her shoulder from behind.

TKTK

"_What do you want, Paul?" she asked impatiently, "The surgery just finished. I have better things to do than chat with you."_

"_Rach – " Paul sighed, "Julie…" he corrected._

"_What? I don't have all day. Either you get to the point or I hang up."_

"_I really need your help. Please."_

Silence. Dr. Parker waited. She let out a deep breath of frustration. "Well, go on," she spoke coldly into the phone, adding "And make it quick."

"They're gonna kill me and Lola," Paul began, "And the only person that can help us is you."

"And why would I want to do that?" her tone was so bitter that Paul almost dropped his phone.

"This isn't a joke, you know," Paul spoke after another long silence.

"Do you hear me laughing?"

"They want you to pull the plug on him," Paul blurted out.

"You really think I'm not aware of that?" Dr. Parker snorted.

"You're gonna choose that bastard over us? A complete stranger over people you've known your whole life?" Paul scowled.

"I don't know you anymore, Paul," Dr Parker replied sadly. "I knew a boy once that cared very much about other people. But he's gone now. I knew a girl once – his sister Rachel – that would do anything for him. She had so much faith in him. But that faith is gone now. She's gone now too. Goodbye, Paul." Without waiting for an answer, Dr. Parker hanged up the phone.

"Rachel!" Paul shouted into the phone. _Beep, beep, beep…._

PRPR

Arthur paced in circles through the bland, greyish-white hospital, occasionally visiting the room where DW lay, still knocked out from the surgery. He passed by waiting room after waiting room, eventually noticing that again, crowds were building up in front of the televisions. He glanced onto the screen to find Muffy talking again, in between showing surveillance videos from what looked like Elwood City Airport. Arthur came closer, intrigued.

"If you look to the top left corner of the screen," reporter Muffy Crosswire narrated the video, "You can see one of the women knock each of the three men down to the ground, as the second one picks up the men's suitcases. The two women, believed to be 60-80 years of age, then run off, dodging bystanders and jumping over benches in their way. If you look closely, you can notice the third woman waving at them as they run."

"What the hell?" Arthur laughed, coming closer to the TV screen.

"We've just received another video from a bystander's camera" Muffy announced. The video aired on the screen, displaying the two old ladies. "Now, again one of them is attacking a man," Muffy continued, "Notice how she kicks his lower legs, causing him to fall face-forward. The other lady takes something from the man's pocket, and they run off once again." The scene switched over to Muffy. "The police are currently trying to catch the two ladies, and the SWAT team is on its way to the airport. The third lady is being questioned by police. We will keep you updated on this story but now here is your local weather forecast…."

"Those are some seriously buffed-up old chicks," he thought as he replayed the scene of the old lady beating up three men in his head. He walked right through the crowd of viewers until he got a more comfortable spot in front of the screen and waited for more.

"And now, more on our top story," Muffy was back. "Here are a few of our reporters in a live interview with one of the men that got attacked." The screen changed over to the airport, where two reporters stood with a man who now had a black eye. The man spoke into the microphone "She – she just _pounced_ on me. Like a wildcat. I was stunned – I didn't know what to do. I wanted to fight back but… well… she's an old lady, you know? I didn't want to hurt her."

"My ass you didn't" Arthur hissed as he recognized the man in the video. He would recognize him anywhere. It was the man who killed his mother. The same man that held and tortured DW for all those years.

AAAA

Arthur desperately needed to get back into his body. Not knowing what to try, Arthur floated through the hallways, calling out and asking if there was anyone out there that could hear him. "Hello? Anyone?" Arthur noticed a familiar face walk in through the main entrance. "Son of a…" Arthur froze as his eyes met Paul's. Arthur looked on in surprise as Paul's jaw dropped open and his eyes filled with terror.

"You're…" he sputtered, "You're supposed to be – "

"Dead?" Arthur finished Paul's sentence. Paul's face turned pale and he looked as though he would faint any minute. Arthur smirked, "And I thought I look like a ghost…" he huffed. Paul couldn't breathe, glaring wordlessly as Arthur approached him. Finally, Arthur had a plan. "Alright, listen up," he told Paul who still has not snapped out, "I know you're here to try to kill me. I get it – there are people that are threatening to kill you. Big, bad, scary guys. But what they can do is _nothing_ compared to the damage a ghost can cause. So I suggest you revise your choices – think a bit harder about which side you want to be on. And think fast – you have sixty seconds before you join me in the ghost realm."


	17. Chapter 17

**Author's Note:**Hello everyone. I would really like to apologize for being so horrible at updating my stories. For anyone who is still interested, 'How to Break a Family' will have an end, in a couple of chapters (which will all hopefully be up within the next few weeks). In these next few chapters I will try to resolve as many questions as I can, and finally get to that part in the description about Arthur going to prison (which, initially, was the main point of the story!). Again, I am truly sorry for my lack of commitment. I hope you enjoy reading these next few chapters as much as I am enjoying writing them!

Chapter 17

DW lay motionless on the cot, her eyes shut, her body stiff and heavy. She felt tingling sensations all throughout her, felt the cool metal of the surgical instruments sliding along her body, the poking sensations radiating from her kidney through her chest and landing to form a thick lump in her throat. She felt a small stream of blood trickling along her side, warm against her ice-cold skin. She could not move. Paralyzed, speechless, helpless. But Arthur was beside her. The voices of the surgeons above her blended into the hum of the fluorescence lights, and the sound of distant footsteps in the hallway. All the sounds seemed to merge into a single torrent which was amplified in her head – an airplane taking off. She was out, her family – well, what was left of it – has found her.

Her mind blocked out the searing pain, and drifted off to a time long ago, filled with a similar kind of horror and pain. And hope – always hope. She recalled herself, at age nine, lying cut open on a cot, feeling all the same sensations. Paralysis, helplessness, fear. The room dark, somewhere underground, only a dim light illuminating the large figure hovering above her. A horrible shadow fell on his face, highlighting his monster-like features. _So this is what a monster looks like_, DW remembered thinking as she shut her eyes tightly, silently wishing him away. But no luck. She cringed as his burning-hot hand grasped her tiny arm, and the cold blade of his knife sliced into her skin. She remembered whimpering and struggling – with no luck – to pull away. A smooth piece of plastic met her face, and her feelings were slowly numbed. But through her sleep, the child still felt the needle pushing through her skin, coming through, pushing out, coming through, pushing in, coming through, pushing out…

* * *

"No, I said I'm not going. There's no way – "

"Kate! Don't you understand? You being here isn't going to help your brother or sister in any way. You have to get somewhere safe and let us take care of this."

"Who exactly is us, Thomas?" Kate leaned against the wall, taking off Dottie's old-lady wig, "You and ghost-Arthur? Against all of them? We don't even know who they are, or what they want. We have no idea what we're dealing with! How could you possibly _take care of this_ when you don't even know what _this_ is?"

"It doesn't matter. I know we can win. We have something that they don't," Thomas began. His thought was interrupted by a vibration coming from his pocket, followed by a quiet ringing.

"You didn't get rid of your phone?" Kate panicked "They can track you down with it! Don't pick up! You have to crush it and throw it away – in the movies they always – "

"Shh!" Thomas exclaimed as he saw the caller ID, "Hello?" Thomas' eyes widened as he listened.

"Thomas, what is it? Who's calling?" Kate asked, but Thomas turned away, a slight smile forming on his face.

"That's…amazing!"… "I can't come right now," he said. "No…no there's no one else there." A long pause. "Tell her…tell her that everything will be okay. That it will all end soon. And that we love her."

"WHO?" Kate grabbed Thomas from behind and shook him with what little strength she had, "Who are you talking to? Who are you talking _about?_ Answer me!"

Thomas pulled away from Kate. After another long pause, he whispered "Thank you so much doctor." He rested his head against the wall, his cell phone beeping in his hand, until Kate snatched it, angrily tossing it against the wall.

"Doctor? Was that about Arthur and DW?" she demanded.

Hesitating, Thomas shook his head, "No. It was about – " He stopped. Was it better to tell her the truth, or keep lying? Thomas put his face in his hands, unsure of what to say next.

The silence that grew upon them was broken by now half-busted phone that lit up on the ground as it rang. Kate shuddered, startled. Thomas picked it up, staring uncertainly at the unfamiliar number displayed on the small screen.

"Oh my god!" Kate gasped, staring helplessly at the phone, "Its them. Its _them_!"

"Relax Katie," Thomas tried his best to sound calm, "It could just be a telemarketer. Selling Windows and Doors, or something like that."

"_No_," Kate did not appreciate the joke, "That's Paul's number! Dammit, Thomas, I told you you should have destroyed that phone!"

"I'm gonna pick up," Thomas decided.

"NO! Don't pick up! What if they – " It was too late. Thomas opened the phone and put it to his ear, waiting.

"Put it on speaker," Kate whispered. For once, without arguing, Thomas did as his cousin asked.

"Thomas? I know you're there…" Paul said shakily through the phone. Kate cringed at the sound of his voice. "Thomas, this is Paul… and Arthur."

* * *

"I'm telling you Arthur, this will never work," Paul shook his head, still barely believing his eyes, "The man hates my guts. After everything his people did for me, he came to me _once_ and I… let out his experiment. It will _never _work."

"_Experiment_?" Arthur could not quite understand Paul's choice of wording, "Why is it that my sister is an experiment?"

"Look, we could sit here and I could tell you all about Bob and his mad-scientist schemes until someone sees me talking to the chair, and redirects me to the psychiatric ward," Paul sighed, "_Or_ we could get on to the more important business and make sure your sister gets out of the country alive."

"Fine. But you're calling. Right now," Arthur felt awkward giving commands, but convinced himself this man didn't deserve anything better. Not after what he did to Kate. Paul took out his phone and began to dial, feeling the weight of Arthur's eyes watching his every move.

"Do you mind?" He couldn't take this glare any longer.

"_Do I mind_?" Arthur echoed, not taking his eyes off Paul.

"How would you feel if a ghost was staring at you like that?"

Arthur couldn't hold back his laughter, "Aww," he smirked, "Little Pauly the street-thug and drug dealer has a secret fear of ghosts…Listen buddy, you got two choices: accept us ghosts, or join us." Paul was silent. Arthur went on, "Yeah, that's what I thought. Now _dial the number_."

Arthur was beginning to get frustrated as Paul was getting through all the formalities. "Tell him you don't have a lot of time!" He whispered. Then he realized whispering was unnecessary – no one would hear him anyways. Finally, Paul looked at Arthur, waiting for his input. "Say that you're going to follow Kate on the plane," Arthur instructed, "And that the others should leave the airport, and that you'll make sure to keep them all posted on her whereabouts. And tell him she trusts you and it would be best if you were alone with her, or else she would get suspicious." Paul did as Arthur said.

After a long time listening to the rant from the other end of the line, Paul finally spoke again, "Well, sir, the truth is… I just want to make it up to you. I failed you, after you have been so…kind…to me," This triggered a deep and rather frightening laugh from the "mad scientist", as Paul described him. "No. What I meant to say was that I owe you, and… I want to fix my mistake…" … "No, I won't. I swear I am on _your_ side." … "I won't. No, I am not "soft" like Rachel. And no, I do not have a "crush" on Katherine Read." Arthur was surprised to see Paul's cheeks redden slightly as he said that last phrase. Another long speech came from Bob's end of the line. Arthur could not hear what he was saying, but it sounded like a continuous wave of sound, almost as if the man was not pausing to breathe as he spoke. Finally, he went silent. "Thank you so much, sir," Paul said, as he and Arthur both let out a sigh of relief, "Thank you. I promise, I will not fail you."


	18. Chapter 18

**Chapter 18**

"Arthur, are you _absolutely positive _that we can trust this guy? I mean, while you're a ghost he might be scared of you but what happens when you wake up?" Thomas tried to keep his voice down, trying to be as inconspicuous as possible about talking to a ghost in public.

"You mean _if _I wake up…" Arthur pointed out.

"DON'T say that! What is wrong with you? Of course you'll wake up!" Thomas was unable to contain his emotions. As quickly as he could, Thomas pulled his cellphone to his ear, "_Of course you'll wake up_," he repeated, speaking into the broken phone.

"Look, it doesn't matter whether or not this guy is trustworthy. As long as none of the others go on that plane, everything should be alright. It'll buy us enough time to… well, let's just say that by the time that plane lands, if all goes well, there will be none of the others _left. Alive,_ that is." Arthur watched as his youngest sister, together with her criminal companion, purchased their tickets and disappeared from sight.

"What are you talking about?" Thomas did not like the sound of that, "How…wait, are you seriously planning to _kill_ them?"

"There is no other choice," Arthur replied coldly, "I have no time nor desire for being humane with them. They're monsters. They killed my mom. I don't even want to think about what they did to DW all these years."

Thomas's jaw dropped and his phone fell out of his hand, snapping into pieces. "And how exactly are you planning to kill them? You're a ghost…"

"I have a plan. Just follow my lead, alright?" Arthur patted his cousin on the shoulder and made his way to the exit.

"Wait, Arthur!" Thomas called out but Arthur ignored him, "Arthur!" A woman walking by eyed Thomas suspiciously. _Why can I see him?_ Thomas hesitated to follow. _Isn't there anyone else except me and Paul? _Thomas stared at his cousin's ghost walking further and further away. _What if this is all a hallucination? Arthur wouldn't act like that. He wouldn't…he wouldn't just go out and murder people. _

ATATATATATATATATATATATATATAT ATATATATATATATATATATATATATAT A

**FLASH-FORWARD (three months later)**

"Hello, I'm Arthur Read," Arthur held out a cuffed hand, "How are you doing?"

The prison guard ignored his gesture, instead handing him a large pile of neatly-folded clothes. "Call me Boss," he replied. The man seemed terribly familiar, though Arthur couldn't quite put his finger on it.

"Nice to meet you, Boss," Arthur gave a polite nod.

"Boy, take your manners, put them in a box and throw them in the trash together with your _future_. 'Please' and 'thank you' won't be of any help to you here," the guard did not look at Arthur as he spoke, "What it will do, however, is get your rear end kicked by our annoyed guests."

"Guests?" Arthur raised an eyebrow. The guard really reminded him of someone, and being unable to figure it out was beginning to get on his nerves.

"Yes, guests. I like to think of this place as a fine 5-star hotel," Boss smirked, "As long as you follow our rules, you should have a rather pleasant stay." He stepped out of the hallway and waited for Arthur to follow. "Since you're on _Death Row_, let me show you to the presidential suite." Arthur took a deep breath and hesitantly followed the guard, afraid of what he might see.

"This" the guard motioned to the left, "Is the place where you smelly dogs wash up. And you better wash well, cause I like to keep this hotel smelling nice and fresh. And over here," he motioned to the right, "Is where they serve some of the best food in the world." Arthur couldn't help but remember his school field trip to the museum. This tour-guide guard did remind him a lot of Mr. Ratburn. In fact, so much that Arthur was beginning to wonder if the two might be related. Arthur smiled to himself upon finally figuring that out. Mr. Ratburn's doppelganger went on: "You know, that Chef MacGrady can cook up a real work of art."

Arthur wondered if he meant Mrs. MacGrady, the lunch lady, realizing for the first time in his life that that actually rhymed. However, his thoughts quickly changed as he saw a scene that he never, in a million years, could imagine. He couldn't resist asking. "That prisoner," he pointed as they entered what the guard called the 'suites', "Is his name by any chance Alan Powers?"

The guard nodded. "That is his legal name, though he prefers "The Brain". He's in here for blowing up a building with his 'time machine'. For the third time." Arthur couldn't believe it. The 'tour guide' went on, "Though I don't think it's much safer having him _here_ – The Brain has really revolutionized home-made weaponry. All the guys here love him."

"And this here," the guard stopped so Arthur could get a better look of who he was talking about, "Is the one that even guards come to fear. You know, he could knock you out with just his pinky finger." In the cell was a man, about seven feet tall with arms as wide as oak tree trunks, doing one-armed pull-ups against the top bunk of his bed. His cell mate was covered in bruises. The guard put a hand on Arthur's shoulder, "A word of advice to a scrawny boy like you…cover up when Big Bink is in the shower."

"_Binky?!_" Arthur almost choked. He was always big, but…

"What are you looking at?" the giant growled at him. Arthur was about to go over and say hello, but the guard pushed him forward.

As Arthur could see, the tour was not over yet. The guard, with all the same enthusiasm, continued, "And here, monitored by a guard 25 hours a day, we have the sneaky rabbit – no pun intended – who broke out of here seven times and counting. They don't call him _Buster_ for nothing."

Arthur's jaw dropped. This was definitely the last person he was expecting to find here. It was like a class reunion. "Buster!" he called, "So this is what _travelling__ with your dad_ is like?"

"The seventh time was for you," Buster replied, "As well as the eighth," he said in a lower tone with friendly wink.

"There's not going to be an eighth, Buster," the guard assured.

"We'll see about that," he chuckled. "By the way, that's Mr. Ratburn," Buster shouted as Arthur walked away, "He's finally found a suitable job!"

"I knew it!" Arthur smiled. It felt good to be among friends.

After a few seconds they came to another stop. Arthur braced for another "And here is…" from Mr. Ratburn, but it didn't come. Instead, he said "Welcome home." Arthur examined the generic cell in front of him. _The presidential suite. _A prisoner that looked almost too young to be here sat quietly and wrote something in a notebook. "And this is your new cell-mate. Congratulations, the two of you are destined to spend the rest of your – unfortunately rather short – lives together." Arthur waved but the young man did not take his eyes off his notebook. "He might be young but he's no sweetheart," Mr. Ratburn said in a serious and almost frightening tone, "The kid murdered his own brother. As well as three other men. And he has more theft charges than this entire row of prisoners combined."

_Great_, Arthur thought, _out of all the prisoners here I get to bunk with a murderer_. "Boss, couldn't I be paired up with Buster instead?" Arthur asked hopefully.

Mr. Ratburn snorted out a laugh, "You'd like that, wouldn't you? I'm afraid that's not how it works here. You aren't exactly a model citizen either – what was it, seven counts of murder?"

"Lucky number seven," Arthur replied bitterly.

"Another word of advice – if you want to live to your expiration date," the guard said as the barred door opened, "Try to get along. And enjoy your stay at Elwood City Penitentiary." Arthur felt a slight horror taking over him as the barred door slammed behind him and Mr. Ratburn began to walk away.


End file.
